One of the main aims of the current hospital reform is to increase the quality of care by concentrating complex treatments on appropriately qualified service providers. In this context, a concentration of oncological treatment is also planned. The National Cancer Plan adopted in 2008 calls for all people suffering from cancer to receive high-quality care in accordance with evidence-based treatment guidelines in uniformly qualified centres. In order to implement the National Cancer Plan, the German Cancer Society (DKG), in cooperation with all oncological societies, has set up a certification system that ensures these requirements are met. The WiZen study, funded by the Innovation Fund, was able to show by means of controlled cohort studies for 11 cancer entities based on nationwide SHI routine data and regional data from clinical cancer registries that the initial treatment of people with cancer in hospitals with DKG certification is associated with longer overall survival and recurrence-free survival (Fig. 1) [1]. The Innovation Committee of the Joint Federal Committee (G-BA) considered the WiZen study to be evidence that treatment in certified oncology centres can significantly increase the chances of survival for patients and asked the G-BA to examine whether the findings from the WiZen study could be taken into account in a timely manner, e.g. when defining minimum requirements for structural, process and outcome quality [2]. The recommended implementation of the results of the WiZen study in standard care has not yet materialised. Furthermore, a high proportion of patients in numerous entities are treated outside of certified centres.