Two of Brussels' public hospitals, Iris South and Saint-Pierre, will merge by January 2026, the hospitals announced on Wednesday. The decision aims to address budget constraints and staff shortages, said the Chair of the Board of Directors of Iris South Hospitals and the Mayor of Saint-Gilles, in a press conference.
Under a new name, with a centralised management of finances and operations, the integrated hospital will operate with almost 6,000 employees and 1,100 beds spread over six sites across Anderlecht, Brussels, Etterbeek, Ixelles, and Saint-Gilles. While affected staff have already been informed of the plan, no staff departures are anticipated.
In addition to improving care, the merger also aims to improve working conditions. "By creating larger volume services, we will become more attractive. We will attract more doctors and improve quality of life for healthcare staff, especially during shifts," said Michelle Dusart, Medical Director of CHU Saint-Pierre.
The announcement comes on the same day that an auditor's report revealed that Brussels' public hospitals suffered losses nearing €69 million, Le Soir reports. The report highlighted that public health is under pressure due to budgetary issues, inflation and staff shortages, for example.
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Nonetheless, multiple mayors emphasised that these figures stem from necessary investments and pension scheme charges. "We believe operational balance can be reached with this merger," expressed Brussels Mayor Philippe Close.
Close called for discussions with the Federal Health Minister to shift the burden of past scheme pension charges away from municipalities. The Mayor further urged an indexation of the regional compensation grant for hospitals' services. According to Le Soir, the grant only covered 22% of the expenditure in 2023.
Additional mergers of public healthcare institutes are not expected in the capital: "A grouping [of the entire public hospital network] is not on the agenda; first and foremost, we are letting the doctors work. But that is never the end of the story in hospitals."
