Luxembourg's hospitals: More beds planned for growing patient numbers!

Luxembourg's hospitals: More beds planned for growing patient numbers!

Healthcare in Luxembourg is facing a significant challenge: to meet increasing demand, the government plans to significantly increase the number of hospital beds. This step is a response to population growth and the growing number of cross-border commuters who are increasingly using Luxembourg hospitals. Health Minister Martine Deprez has already announced that she will present a draft law before the end of the year that will make it possible to revise and adjust the maximum number of beds in certain facilities.

In 2023, Luxembourg had ten hospitals spread over eleven locations, including four clinical centers. There are currently 3.04 acute beds available per 1,000 inhabitants, according to the Carte sanitaire. This analysis is published every two years by the Observatoire National de la Santé and is intended to monitor the development of the hospital sector and provide objective data for hospital planning, such as wort.lu reported. In 2024, bed capacity is expected to increase to 3,153, including 2,346 acute beds, which represents an increase compared to the previous year.

Rising hospitalizations

The occupancy rate of Luxembourg's hospitals has a significant impact on the government's planning. In 2021, occupancy was 71.2 percent, with 139,352 hospitalizations recorded. Interestingly, although the length of stay has decreased, the number of treatments and admissions remains high. Dr. Françoise Berthet, head of the National Health Observatory, highlights the pressure on the sector caused by demographic growth and the increasing use of treatment by cross-border workers.

The attractiveness of Luxembourg hospitals for non-residents is constantly increasing. In 2022, an impressive 17.3 percent of deliveries were to cross-border commuters. This group is also increasingly making use of imaging procedures, which places additional demands on the health care infrastructure in Luxembourg.

Investments in infrastructure

In order to meet these challenges, extensive investments in the hospital infrastructure are planned. Total costs of almost 639 million euros are expected for the South Spidol in Esch/Alzette, with 60 million euros already being released for the planning phase. Following the dismissal of the original architect in 2021, project management was reassigned and construction is scheduled to take place between 2026 and 2032.

In addition, the construction of a new central building for the Center Hospitalier de Luxembourg (CHL) is currently underway, the cost of which is currently estimated at 691 million euros. A usage analysis is currently in progress to ensure the use and efficiency of the new premises. At the same time, the legally regulated number of hospital beds in Luxembourg will be adjusted to the growing needs in order to ensure high-quality healthcare lessentiel.lu reported.