Medical shortage means future supply risk

Lack of doctors: Medical supply risk in Germany

27/12/2013

According to a recent study, about 2,600 GP surgeries are missing in Germany. There is also a shortage of specialists. Especially in rural areas, there is a risk of a medical supply risk.

Thousands of doctor's offices are missing
In rural areas of Germany, the shortage of GPs and medical specialists becomes a risk to primary health care. According to the statistics of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), there are no more than 2,600 GP surgeries nationwide, which according to the needs planning of the medical associations would be necessary to ensure basic services, especially in rural areas. This goes to information of the „world“ from a survey of the KBV from August. In addition, about 2,000 specialist practices would be missing, of which 1,250 practices for psychotherapists alone.

Physicians urgently needed for basic care
„The numbers show how urgently we doctors need for the basic care of local citizens“, said KBV spokesman Roland Stahl to the „world“. In view of medical supply gaps, the occupational physicians had already readjusted their requirements planning in early 2013 together with health insurance companies, clinics and patient representatives, especially in rural areas. For example, with more detailed planning, the actual need for care should be more accurately assessed in order to better target recruitment attempts to locate doctors in rural areas.

Desired success has remained so far
However, the interim results now show that the desired result has not been achieved so far. „With planning alone, no new doctor has yet been won“, so steel. Nationwide, there are approximately 52,000 GP and 66,400 specialist practices, including approximately 22,000 psychotherapeutic practices. The majority of physicians prefer medium-sized cities and metropolises, especially to use the existing infrastructure there, such as childcare or leisure activities. In rural areas, however, many practices are unoccupied. There, due to the age structure, many doctors retire and the practices are then insufficiently staffed. Another consequence of this is that pharmacies and physiotherapists are also missing because they depend on a corresponding number of GP surgeries.

Sales guarantees and investment aids
According to estimates by the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, about 51,000 GPs and doctors will retire by 2021 by the year 2021. The medical associations have been trying to counteract for years, but the supply gaps persist. „The Kassenärztliche associations are already doing a great deal to attract doctors for the branch“, said steel. For example, physicians would be offered sales guarantees and investment aids from the associations. „Some set up complete practices. But the attractiveness of the location is also decisive“, so the KBV spokesman. „Here municipalities must operate a location marketing as in the settlement of companies.“

New Federal Minister of Health is in demand
In the future, the new Federal Minister of Health Hermann Gröhe (CDU) will also be asked to help solve the problem. In order to ensure nationwide coverage, incentives to settle in underserved areas should be improved, according to the black-red coalition agreement. The coalition: „That is why we will reduce unnecessary bureaucratic requirements and make the framework conditions for approvals for physicians and psychotherapists more flexible.“ The approval of hospitals for outpatient care in underserved areas should be facilitated.

Germany is one of the international leaders in medical density
The Institute of German Business (IW) in Cologne currently sees no shortage of doctors in Germany. Thus, about 6,600 physicians will retire from professional life each year in the coming years. „However, these are compared with about 10,000 alumni of human medicine each year“, says in a statement from the IW of a few months ago. With a constant population, the number of physicians between 1999 and 2011 even increased by 92,000. „For now, the Germans need not worry about their medical care“, it goes on. There are currently at least 31,000 doctors from abroad practicing in Germany. Some of these are German citizens, who would have studied abroad because of high admission hurdles, the IW informs. With a medical density of 3.84 physicians per 1,000 inhabitants, Germany is among the front runners in international comparison. (Ad)