Five hospitals in the city of Brussels are joining forces under a single umbrella organisation, the Brussels University Hospitals, Brussels Mayor Philippe Close (PS) announced on Thursday.
The merger aims to improve healthcare efficiency in Brussels. The hospitals, which operate across 12 sites, will be able to share advanced equipment across the hospital network, pool medical expertise, and exchange best practices. The merger will also increase the hospitals' capacity to invest.
The mayor said the merger would not affect local access, as people would "still be able to go to the hospital closest to them." Patients will also benefit from equipment and teams from other hospitals. "The collaboration will also strengthen research and innovation," Close added.
The merger is also expected to improve the finances of Brussels' hospital sector. More than 60 per cent of hospitals were in deficit in 2023, while the others were also struggling, according to the Mayor's office.
The hospitals merging are three hospitals managed by the city of Brussels — the Jules Bordet Institute, the Children's Hospital and Saint-Pierre University Hospital — along with the Iris South hospitals and Erasmus Hospital.
