Hospitals and Trade Unions Unite to Protect Universal Healthcare in Luxembourg

In Luxembourg, the Fédération Hospitalière du Luxembourg (FHL) and the major trade-union associations OGBL-LCGB have jointly issued a strong defence of the nation’s public healthcare model, rejecting changes that risk creating a system of “medicine for a select few”. Their declaration on 17 November 2025 comes amid proposed reforms including private medical companies and the decision by doctors to pull out of the convention with the Caisse Nationale de Santé (CNS).

The FHL and unions argue these shifts threaten equal access to treatment. They emphasise that mandatory physician convention-tariffs ensure all patients receive care under the same conditions, and that any move away from this principle risks privileging those who can pay more. They oppose what they view as the commercialisation of healthcare and call for the convention system to remain intact.
While the public ownership structure is not their key concern, the biggest danger facing the system today is the shortage of staff. The organisations stress that attracting and retaining skilled personnel must be a priority. They argue for improved working conditions, expanded training programmes and recognition of foreign diplomas to ensure the system remains sustainable.

The statement also supports developing decentralised outpatient centres to improve regional access — provided these remain integrated with the state system and hospital network, preserving a unified service structure. Furthermore, the FHL and unions insist that the collective agreement for hospital workers must apply to all healthcare staff, whether at central hospitals or in new regional facilities, to prevent inequality in employment terms.

Their message is clear: healthcare in Luxembourg should be a common good — not a luxury. They reaffirm the country does not need care meant only for the wealthy, but rather a strengthened universal system that has proven effective and sustainable so far.

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