UKBB and KSA work more closely together in paediatric oncology and neuropaediatrics

«The pooling of medical expertise enables highly specialised care for sick children and adolescents close to home - both on an outpatient and inpatient basis,» says Dr Daniel Lüscher, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the KSA. And Marc-André Giger, President of the Board of Directors of UKBB, adds: «With this collaboration, UKBB and KSA are demonstrating how we think about modern medicine today: integrated, supra-regional and with a focus on quality, sustainability and patient proximity.»

In the areas of paediatric oncology and neuro- and developmental paediatrics, one head physician will now be responsible for medical management at each site. Patients and their relatives will benefit from this cooperation in many ways: the pooling of resources ensures the highest quality of medical care as close as possible to the patients' place of residence. Through the link to the University of Basel, the co-operation not only strengthens Northwestern Switzerland as a research location, but also enables medical treatments at the cutting edge of research. For relatives, this means fewer journeys, high quality treatment, greater safety and clear contacts.

Through this cooperation, the UKBB and the KSA are also strengthening their attractiveness as employers and as training hospitals, thereby preventing the shortage of specialised staff. This is a major challenge for paediatric hospitals in particular. In the long term, competition between hospitals for renowned experts and young medical talent is jeopardising the provision of high-quality paediatric healthcare close to home in Northwestern Switzerland.

Since 1 April, Prof. Alexandre Datta has been Head of Neuro- and Developmental Paediatrics at both sites and has been promoted to Chief Physician. Prof Datta remains formally employed at the UKBB. The salary costs are borne by the KSA and the UKBB, with the academic salary portion continuing to be covered by the University of Basel. The cooperation agreement for paediatric oncology is expected to start in November 2025. The University of Basel has advertised the professorship for paediatric haematology and oncology. The future professor will be responsible for the specialist management of oncological paediatrics in Basel and Aarau.

The UKBB and the KSA see the collaboration as a sensible and pioneering measure for quality assurance and against the shortage of specialists. Both institutions hope that this will increase the efficiency of hospital operations through synergies. At the same time, university training in the fields of oncology and neuropaediatrics will be strengthened.