Annual Report 2023: Deficit under difficult conditions

Financially, the 2023 financial year was not under a good star for UKBB in advance. Apart from the continued above-average number of staff absences, UKBB has largely managed to get the after-effects of the coronavirus pandemic under control. This is also thanks to successfully implemented measures, particularly in the emergency ward. However, this has not made the business environment any easier. In the end, UKBB closed the operating year with a loss of CHF 2.2 million. With this negative result, however, UKBB clearly exceeded expectations. A loss of CHF 7.1 million was budgeted.

The UKBB had to reckon with a loss, as it is structural in nature. The long-known financial shortfall in the outpatient area was compounded in the past financial year by inflation and cost-intensive but unavoidable personnel measures. Overall, UKBB increased its personnel costs by CHF 5.4 million and thus invested heavily in its employees. This primarily benefits nursing staff in the form of improved salaries and significantly fairer shift allowances. The personnel measures taken will enable UKBB to remain competitive in a labour market plagued by a shortage of specialists.

"Hardly any chance of covering costs"

Marco Fischer, Chairman of the Executive Board at UKBB, writes in his editorial to the annual report: "The Board of Directors and Executive Board are doing everything they can to continue to improve the result on the cost side and to achieve positive effects on income with strategic projects in the future. However, if the financing situation does not improve - in particular the reimbursement of outpatient services - UKBB will have little chance of covering its costs in the immediate future."

Hopes that the new and fair outpatient tariff (Tardoc) could replace the existing tariff (Tarmed) by 2025 were dashed last year. The road to fair remuneration in paediatric medicine therefore remains long and rocky. In his editorial, Marc-André Giger, Chairman of the Board of Directors at UKBB since 2023, reaffirms his intention to work with his colleagues from other paediatric hospitals in Switzerland to ensure that outpatient services in paediatrics are "finally remunerated fairly".

The fact that the loss in the 2023 financial year was less significant than forecast is primarily due to an unexpectedly sharp rise in patient numbers last autumn, in addition to various financial and special effects. The number of inpatients stabilised compared to the exceptionally intensive previous year. UKBB treated 6020 patients. In the case mix, the inpatient services provided fell by -1.4% compared to the previous year to 7,294 points. In contrast, the number of outpatient visits rose once again from a very high level of 111,378 to 113,222 (+1.7%).

Improved situation on the emergency ward

In the recent past, huge numbers of visitors have pushed the emergency ward in particular to its capacity limits. Since then, the UKBB has taken structural, personnel and construction measures. These have been able to defuse the sometimes tense situation and shorten waiting times. Optimisation of medical processes, an expansion of specialist services in areas with high demand and investments in more attractive working conditions for employees have made a significant contribution to this. Finally, the extraordinary wave of RSV was also over by spring 2023, which led to a welcome reduction in the workload for emergency staff, who had been under particular pressure recently.

From a medical perspective, Prof Urs Frey, Medical Director of UKBB, looks back on a very successful year overall: "Significant quality improvements were achieved in patient care and clinical research. This was achieved in particular through process optimisation in patient and referral management, improved processes in the outpatient and inpatient areas and the further digitalisation of the hospital information system and research infrastructures," writes Prof. Urs Frey in his editorial.

UKBB is particularly pleased with the excellent marks it has received in national measurements and patient surveys for its quality of care. It is a well-deserved recognition of the great commitment shown by all UKBB staff to the well-being of sick children.

Further details and statistics on the 2023 financial year can be found in the Annual Report 2023. If you have any questions or require further information, please contact the UKBB media office.