Exclusive: Dreiland-Klinikum Lörrach: A modern healthcare center for the Basel region

At the end of 2025, the Dreiland-Klinikum Lörrach will commence operations as planned – while the Claraspital in Basel will be taken over by the University Hospitals (USB) at the same time. This will create two important healthcare centers in the border triangle, both of which will have transnational significance.

The University Hospital Basel (USB), together with the other university hospitals Felix Platter-Spital, Bethesda-Spital and the UPK, is taking over the Claraspital from the Ingenbohl monastery. This is subject to the approval of the Competition Commission COMCO, which is expected by the end of the year. The plan is to establish a Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Claraspital site, which, as an interdisciplinary center for cutting-edge oncology medicine, will bundle all oncology services including the emergency ward.

“At the same time, other service units that were previously located at the Clara site will be transferred to the University Hospital Basel. The additional infrastructure at the Clara Hospital site will provide sufficient space to cover the need for clinical and administrative functions in the long term. This will strengthen the University Hospital Basel as the backbone of healthcare in the region and make it even more attractive for patients with many advantages,” says Caroline Johnson, USB media spokesperson.

The aim is to exploit synergies, avoid duplication and improve care for patients and staff alike. The name “Claraspital” will be retained and, according to the USB management, no job cuts are planned. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The Basel government expressly supports the takeover and sees a long-term strengthening of university medicine in the region .

Dreiland-Klinikum Lörrach: merger for the future

At the same time, and so far unnoticed by the Swiss media, a new cross-border healthcare center is being built right on the city border in Germany: from the end of 2025, the Dreiland-Klinikum Lörrach will unite four previously separate hospital locations in the district under one roof in the north of Lörrach.

The new building follows a sustainable and innovative construction concept: with a gross floor area of around 90,000m², 12 operating theatres and a hybrid operating theatre, 6 district theatres, a psychiatric unit (145 beds) as well as a center for musculoskeletal medicine and centralized emergency care (approx. 35,000 patients/year). The use of innovative hollow core slabs saved around 250 truckloads of concrete. Construction has been progressing on schedule since the ground-breaking ceremony in 2020 .

New opening of the Dreiland-Klinikum Lörrach from the perspective of the USB

The hospital management of the University Hospital Basel is observing the developments in healthcare in the border triangle with interest. The bundling of four hospital sites in one location represents a future-oriented course and picks up on a trend that can be observed in many healthcare systems: away from fragmentation and towards more concentration, interprofessional cooperation and patient proximity.

Strong, local care in the Lörrach area is important for the entire region. It can help to make better use of existing resources across borders, distribute the burden more evenly and avoid peak loads in emergency care.

Symbolism & identity

The name “Dreiland-Klinikum Lörrach” was jointly selected in spring 2025 from over 100 suggestions from around 500 employees of the clinics. It stands for regional roots and cross-border ties with Switzerland and France .

Integrated healthcare campus: more than just a hospital

The hospital will be complemented by a new health campus. This will include a medical center and “House of Health”, rehabilitation services and care facilities, a DRK ambulance station, pharmacy, medical supply store, daycare center and boarding house for employees

An ongoing investor competition is looking for innovative partners to implement the campus concept across sectors.

Transport links and infrastructure

The connection is currently provided by bus routes through the industrial estate. There are plans for a dedicated S-Bahn station on the Wiesentalbahn (Basel-Zell), but this is not expected to be realized until 2035 at the earliest. Acceleration remains politically controversial .

Development of patient flows

Due to very different reimbursement systems and limited billing compatibility, a sharp increase in plannable treatments for Swiss basic insurance patients in Lörrach is not expected. There are opportunities for change in the area of privately insured patients and for patients who have previously been treated preferentially in Swiss clinics. The following applies to cross-border commuters: anyone who lives in Switzerland and works in Germany can claim certain benefits in the country of residence after registering. For those not registered as cross-border commuters, there is hardly any demand for plannable treatment in Germany .

Health insurance system: financing of treatment abroad

Compulsory health insurance (OKP) in Switzerland only reimburses treatment abroad up to the Swiss tariff. The difference to the actual German costs must usually be borne by the patient, except in the case of cost approval (form S2/E112). Emergency treatment is covered according to the rates of the country of residence; prior authorization is then not required.

Significance for the region

The Dreiland-Klinikum will be a modern, high-performance center that interlinks outpatient, day-care and inpatient care, creates a regional identity and, provided the infrastructure and financing partners are secured, strengthens healthcare across borders. This will set a new course for the future in the border triangle.

Binci Heeb

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