European hospital reforms in times of crisis: aligning cost containment needs with plans for structural redesign?

•Across the EU, the current crisis intensified the need for hospital sector reforms.•Reforms tended to be short-term seeking quick-fix solutions to contain cost.•An agenda for a structural redesign of hospitals is emerging only slowly.•Structural reforms need to address financial reward systems and organisation of care.•The EU is faced to develop policy frameworks supporting innovative structural changes.