Behind the scenes

SPÖ presents documents: “Outpatient clinic closure never an issue”

Trauma surgery emergencies have been bypassing Bruck Regional Hospital since 13 January. A fact that is still causing unrest.(Bild: Land Steiermark/Binder)

The relocation of the acute accident surgery outpatient clinic from Bruck to Leoben and the reduction in outpatient clinic times at Voitsberg Regional Hospital have caused outrage among the SPÖ. The accusation that they had once supported the decisions as a governing party is now something the Reds want to finally wipe off the table.

As a partner of the ÖVP, the SPÖ has supported structural changes in the hospital sector in recent years. That is a fact. Accordingly, observers were astonished when the Reds - now in their new role as an opposition party - called for a large demonstration in Bruck an der Mur in January.

Our trust in the former government partner was recently shaken. We knew about the planned relocation of the department, but the closure of the acute outpatient clinic was never an issue.

SPÖ-Klubobmann Hannes Schwarz

The outrage was triggered by the closure of the 24-hour emergency outpatient clinic. "This was never agreed with us," emphasized the new SPÖ leader Max Lercher and other comrades over and over again. There was even talk of "breaking our word". But they didn't want to believe it.

Styrian SPÖ party chairman Hannes Schwarz presents an explosive letter from November 2024, in which the works council of Voitsberg LKH is assured that there will be no foreseeable changes.(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/Erwin Scheriau, Zvg)

Club chairman Hannes Schwarz finally loses his cool in this context - and presents the minutes of the meeting of the "Provincial Target Control Commission", dated June 13, 2024, to rehabilitate his party. And indeed, it only mentions the "transfer of the Orthopaedics and Traumatology Department from Bruck to Leoben", not a word is said about an outpatient clinic closure. At least not on that day.

The reduction in services at LKH Voitsberg was also "never up for discussion", emphasizes Schwarz. There is also an official letter about this, which is available to the "Krone". "I can assure you that the current range of services (...) will be continued in this form (...)", writes Karlheinz Kornhäusl, ÖVP State Councillor for Health, in a letter to the Chairman of the Works Council. The letter was sent on November 8, 2024.