an MRI scanner at the CHL in 2020; Credit: CHL /

On Friday 23 December 2022, Luxembourg's Ministry of Health confirmed that the State of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, represented by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health, Paulette Lenert, as well as the Centre Hospital Luxembourg (CHL) signed an agreement which marks a new stage concerning care and accessibility to medical imaging.

Following the recent installation of four additional MRIs on hospital sites, this ambulatory medical imaging platform meets one of the priorities of the Ministry of Health aimed at further reducing waiting times for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

The CHL's medical imaging department is expanding

Minister Lenert said that she is relieved "that an agreement, within the framework of the legal provisions in force, has been reached between the CHL and the operator of the radiological platform at the Potaschberg Medical Centre, thus making it possible to regularise the situation of the latter as an additional site, in the form of a branch of the medical imaging department of the hospital establishment in question”.

To date, Luxembourg has 11 MRIs installed in the country. With the commissioning by the CHL of the radiology platform at the Potaschberg Medical Centre (CMP), which represents real progress in terms of access to healthcare in the eastern region of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, a 12th MRI scanner will thus add to the offer for patients.

Bill 8009 concerning the ambulatory shift

According to the provisions of the amended law of 8 March 2018 relating to hospitals and hospital planning, the operation of a radiological platform is reserved for hospitals. By creating a new branch of the CHL's medical imaging department, the operation of the radiological platform located in Potaschberg has been regularised, in the form of a pilot project.

The financing of the antenna in question will be based on the concept provided for by bill 8009 concerning the ambulatory shift, providing for financing through lump sums per act of the activities carried out in an ambulatory centre by a hospital establishment alone, or in collaboration with a group of doctors.

"The example of the CMP thus illustrates a collaborative approach between an ambulatory center managed by doctors and the operation of a medical imaging unit in close collaboration with the CHL", emphasised Minister Lenert.

Green light for refunds

This new hospital branch is the result of exchanges and close collaboration between the Ministry of Health, the social security authorities, the CMP and the CHL.

The signed agreement commits the State of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg to finance the operation of the activity of the branch of the medical imaging service located in Potaschberg, through the rental of infrastructure and equipment by the CHL operator to the CMP and to provide for lump-sum funding as part of a pilot project.

Now that an agreement has been reached with all the players concerned and that the regularisation of the radiological plateau has been finalised, the pilot project in question will make it possible to compensate any patient who is taken in charge by the CMP for an MRI from 1 January 2023, but also retroactively to the opening day of this one.