The Robert Schuman Hospitals (HRS) are planning a new ambulatory surgery centre at Cloche d’Or as part of their efforts to modernise healthcare services and ease pressure on the Kirchberg hospital. The centre is scheduled to open in spring 2028 and will include four operating theatres, a day clinic, a polyclinic, and physiotherapy services.
Once operational, it will be capable of carrying out around 40 outpatient procedures a day, including orthopaedic, abdominal, and urological surgeries.
Bringing care together
According to Dr Marc Berna, general girector of HRS, the project reflects a broader shift in healthcare, in which advances in treatment and patient care have made it possible to carry out many procedures safely outside of traditional hospital settings. Similar to hospital services, the new ambulatory surgery centre will provide continuous postoperative monitoring for outpatients, while a dedicated day clinic will accommodate those requiring extended observation after surgery.
Christian Kirwel, director of care, explains that the third floor will house a polyclinic and a physiotherapy department. Patients will be able to receive preoperative preparation to improve recovery outcomes, as well as postoperative follow-up consultations and physiotherapy sessions in Cloche d’Or.
By bringing these services together in a single location, the centre aims to create a more integrated healthcare environment.
Relieving pressure on Kirchberg
The new facility is also intended to relieve pressure on the HRS Hospital in Kirchberg. Dr Berna notes that surgical procedures often continue into the evening due to a shortage of operating theatres.
Such schedules are far from ideal, he says, as they can negatively affect patients, healthcare staff, and doctors, who are often expected to return to work early the following morning.
To address these capacity challenges, the first phase of expansion and modernisation works at the Kirchberg site is expected to begin by the end of this year. The project will require temporary solutions, including provisional operating theatres, to ensure that services can continue during construction.
Once operational, the new Cloche d’Or site is expected to help reduce the need for costly temporary measures and further ease pressure on the Kirchberg Hospital.
Legal framework still developing
The project is still in the development phase and has yet to receive official authorisation. If approved, the more than €100 million development would be financed by the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund (CNS).
The hospital group remains in close consultation with all relevant stakeholders as plans for the facility move forward. Dr Berna says the new centre could save up to €70 million in temporary measures during the renovation of Kirchberg hospital.
While a new legal framework for ambulatory healthcare facilities is under discussion, HRS maintains that the project will comply with current regulations.
Meanwhile, an ambulatory ophthalmic surgery unit is scheduled to open in the Cloche d’Or shopping centre by the end of September 2026. The unit will primarily offer cataract surgery and is expected to perform between 5,000 and 6,000 procedures annually.
