Mainz -- neuroRAD 2026, the 61st annual meeting of the German Society of Neuroradiology (DGNR), also brought a political dimension to the congress. Germany’s hospital reform affects virtually every medical specialty, and Prof. Dr. Jennifer Linn, Director of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology at University Hospital Dresden and Deputy Director of the Dresden Neurovascular Center, gave a preview ahead of a dedicated session on health policy.
In this video interview, Linn discusses what the reform could mean in practice for neuroradiology: where the biggest bottlenecks lie, whether new structural and quality requirements could strengthen highly specialized care, and how greater concentration of services can be balanced against regional access, particularly as stroke and other neurovascular emergencies require rapid treatment and 24/7 expertise.
The debate is not unique to Germany. Many of the pressures driving the current restructuring, such as workforce shortages, rising costs and a stronger emphasis on defined quality requirements, can be seen across Europe. The German concept of Leistungsgruppen, or service groups, has its roots in hospital planning in the Swiss canton of Zurich. It reached the federal reform largely via North Rhine-Westphalia, and it reflects a broader trend toward linking specialized care to defined structural and quality criteria.
