Emergency Care at Bad Arolsen Hospital to be Discontinued - Bad Arolsen Hospital shuts emergency and ICU units by March 2026
Bad Arolsen Hospital will close its emergency and intensive care units by the end of March. The decision follows a drop in emergency cases and a shortage of specialist staff. Residents in the Waldeck-Frankenberg district will now face longer journeys for urgent medical treatment.
The shutdown comes as part of broader changes under Germany’s national hospital reform. The policy aims to centralise medical services and raise care standards, but it has already led to closures across Hesse in recent years. Bad Arolsen will instead expand its elderly care services, with a focus on neurogeriatrics.
Ambulances will no longer transport patients to the hospital after the first quarter. No replacement provider has been named for the emergency and intensive care services. The facility plans to fully withdraw from these areas by 2026, shifting entirely to geriatric specialisation. Critics, including Hesse’s Left Party, argue that the cuts will endanger lives in rural communities. They warn that longer travel times to distant hospitals could delay critical treatment for patients in the region.
The closure leaves a gap in local emergency and intensive care provision. Patients requiring urgent treatment will need to travel farther for help. The hospital’s remaining services will now concentrate on care for older adults.
