It is with great pleasure that I present to you this new edition of “Key Data in Healthcare,” in which we provide a detailed overview of how general hospitals operate in Belgium. This edition highlights the crucial role of collaboration between hospitals and healthcare actors to ensure quality healthcare for every citizen.
In recent years, steps have been taken to promote cooperation between hospitals. Locoregional hospital networks were established with the aim of encouraging greater collaboration, distributing activities more efficiently, coordinating care, and maximizing value for society and patients. The principle we apply is: ‘Care should be provided in the vicinity where possible and specialised care where needed.’ After all, everyone should have access to a neighbouring hospital that provides basic care. However, specialised care should be centralised in reference centres so that expertise can be clustered there.
This principle has already been applied in several areas of healthcare, such as cardiology, transplant surgery and neonatal healthcare. By applying that principle, we aim to promote the efficiency and quality of care through collaboration and help create a more integrated and patient-centred approach.
In this publication, we will present different forms of partnerships and provide details on their context and organisation. We are convinced that shared responsibility and a common commitment to excellence in healthcare form the cornerstones of a sustainable healthcare system. It is our hope that the data and insights shared in this publication will contribute towards a better understanding of the current state of affairs and will serve as inspiration for further collaboration and innovation within the sector.
We also hope that reading this publication will be both enriching and inspiring.
Yours sincerely,
Sabine Stordeur
Director-General at DG Healthcare