Aarberg Hospital Discontinues Surgery: Focus on Orthopedics
Insel Gruppe Expands Geriatric and Internal Medicine
The Insel Gruppe is realigning Aarberg Hospital. Inpatient surgery will cease. In the future, orthopedics, geriatric medicine, and internal medicine will be central. This decision is part of a strategic reorientation that has been prepared for some time. It is a significant step for healthcare in the Berner Seeland. The hospital group emphasizes that this realignment ensures a long-term perspective for the location. The staff was informed in an internal communication. The exact timetable is not yet set. Aarberg Hospital is an important employer in the region.
New Strategic Direction at Aarberg Hospital
Aarberg Hospital has been part of the Insel Gruppe since 2016. It serves the population in Seeland and the adjacent Bernese Jura. Until now, its services included a surgery department, performing general and trauma surgical procedures. These procedures will now be centralized at the Bern, Biel, and Burgdorf locations. The Insel Gruppe justifies the decision with insufficient capacity utilization and medical quality requirements. A small surgical unit can no longer be economically operated under these conditions, states the Insel Gruppe. The availability of specialized doctors also played a role.
The orthopedics, geriatric medicine, and internal medicine departments will remain and are to be expanded. A competence center for geriatric medicine is planned. This aims to strengthen care for the aging population in the region. Orthopedics will primarily offer conservative treatments and outpatient procedures. Internal medicine will ensure emergency and basic care. Additionally, collaborations with other hospitals are planned. The Insel Gruppe aims to prevent Aarberg Hospital's existence from being jeopardized. The location will thus remain a healthcare center. Close cooperation with the general practitioner's practice in the same building is planned.
Consequences for the Berner Seeland
Patients will have to travel further for surgical procedures in the future. The nearest hospitals with surgery departments are in Bern, Biel, and Burgdorf. Transfer routes between the hospitals are currently being coordinated. However, the emergency room at Aarberg Hospital will remain. Acute cases will continue to be stabilized on-site and then transferred to the appropriate centers. This process is already common in the region. For example, patients requiring knee and hip surgeries have already been referred to larger clinics.
Although the economic reasons are understandable, ensuring reliable emergency care in the region is considered important. Health experts point to the dilemma of rural hospitals: small facilities cannot cover all disciplines. Focusing on specialized areas is seen as a possible solution to maintain basic care. The Canton of Bern intends to monitor this development as part of its hospital planning. Concerns are being raised in the region that care for the elderly will become more difficult. The decision could also exacerbate the shortage of doctors in rural areas. The canton's hospital planning foresees a greater bundling of services.
Next Steps
The Insel Gruppe intends to transfer affected employees to other facilities or offer retraining. The exact number of affected positions is still open. The staff will be informed in the coming weeks. Outpatient operations and the emergency room will remain. The Insel Gruppe aims to retain outpatient surgical procedures in Aarberg. Additionally, the hospital group is examining which services it can share with surrounding hospitals. The Aarberg location will be strengthened as a health center with emergency services, diagnostics, and physiotherapy. The exact range of services will be defined by the end of the year. Cooperation with nearby nursing homes will also be expanded.
The decision in Aarberg is part of a larger trend: hospitals increasingly focus on specialized areas. Health policy discusses stronger regulation of hospital services. For the Berner Seeland, it remains to be seen how healthcare will evolve. The Insel Gruppe plans to announce further details on the future direction in autumn. Similar restructurings have occurred in other cantons in recent years. The question of comprehensive basic care thus becomes even more critical. Officials in Bern and Aarberg face the task of balancing quality and accessibility. The outcome of this process is eagerly awaited.
