Health - Doctor numbers in Bavaria continue to rise: undersupply too
The number of doctors in Bavaria continued to rise last year. The Bavarian Medical Association counted 70,616 working chamber members at the end of the year. This was an increase of two percent compared to the previous year and the highest number ever recorded by the chamber. Within a decade, the increase even amounted to more than 16 percent. Nevertheless, professional associations in Bavaria have been warning of a shortage of doctors for some time.
According to the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bavaria (KVB), these warnings are backed up by figures. According to these figures, 35 planning areas in Bavaria are now threatened by an undersupply of doctors' surgeries - ten years ago there were only 7. The number of planning areas in Bavaria that are considered to be definitely undersupplied has risen from 4 to 13 within a decade.
According to the Medical Association, there are two main reasons why demand can no longer be met everywhere despite the increasing number of doctors. Firstly, the population is getting older on average and the need for treatment is increasing. In addition, the Chamber's statistics show that fewer and fewer junior doctors want to run their own practice, which often involves long working hours and is difficult to combine with part-time work.
Instead, the number of doctors who are employed in practices continues to increase. More than a third of medical staff in Bavarian practices now have an employment contract.
The trend in general practice is particularly striking. Here, the number of those running their own practice in Bavaria fell by just under two percent last year. The number of salaried doctors in general practices has risen by more than eleven percent in the same period.
In turn, women now make up more than two thirds of the doctors employed in general practices. At the same time, according to the Medical Association, women work part-time significantly more often than their male colleagues. The part-time rate among female doctors is 40 percent, compared to only 6.5 percent among male doctors.
Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) emphasized that more young doctors are needed to provide high-quality medical care, especially in rural areas. With the help of the Bavarian rural doctors' bonus, 152 branches and branch formations were supported last year. "Since 2012, we have already been able to support 1,214 branches and branch training - 828 of which were GPs," Gerlach summarized. In addition, more than 300 students have already received a scholarship linked to future work in rural areas.
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Despite the rising number of doctors in Bavaria, the Medical Association and the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians have expressed concerns about a potential shortage, particularly in rural areas. The undersupply of doctors' surgeries has increased from 4 to 13 planning areas within a decade, with 35 areas now at risk.
In response to this issue, Health Minister Judith Gerlach (CSU) has implemented measures to attract more young doctors to rural areas, such as providing bonuses to support 1,214 branches and branch trainings since 2012, and offering scholarships to over 300 students.
Furthermore, the trend in general practice shows an increase in the number of salaried doctors, with women making up more than two-thirds of the doctors employed in general practices and working part-time more often than their male colleagues. However, this shift towards employment contracts and part-time work may contribute to the ongoing issue of an undersupply in certain areas due to the decreasing number of self-employed doctors.
Source: www.stern.de
