STUTTGART (dpa-AFX) - The distance to the nearest hospital is not decisive for good treatment, according to the new chairman of the Conference of Health Ministers, Manne Lucha. "It is not the distance that is decisive for hospital treatment, but the quality and the human resources that implement this quality," the Baden-Württemberg health minister (Greens) told the German Press Agency in Stuttgart. Lucha said it's about the right offer in the right place. "The romantic idea that a small dinky hospital ensures basic care in terms of quantity and quality throughout the country is a romantic fairy tale," he said.

The hospital landscape in Germany is to be fundamentally restructured according to the will of the federal and state governments. Both sides want to work on a major hospital reform in the coming months, with an initial draft bill to be presented by the summer break. A commission of experts had proposed that hospitals should in future receive less money on a flat-rate basis according to the number of cases treated. Instead, the provision of beds, staff and certain services should be more strongly rewarded. This is intended to take economic pressure off the hospitals. In addition, greater specialization of hospitals is planned.

Lucha is chairing the Conference of Health Ministers this year. This is where the respective ministers of the federal states meet to exchange ideas. The first digital session of the conference is to take place on Monday./poi/DP/zb