Health - Health Minister for referral to specialist visits
For a visit to a specialist doctor, according to Lower Saxony's Health Minister Andreas Philippi, a referral from your general practitioner should be necessary in the future. He considers this reasonable, the SPD politician told the "Nordwest-Zeitung" (Wednesday). In the Netherlands, this is already the case.
A spokesperson for the ministry said they wanted to relieve the burden on specialists. Many patients would visit specialists without prior consultation with their general practitioner. General practitioners' practices are the first point of contact, the spokesperson said.
The minister emphasized that providing high-quality and locally accessible healthcare in a large state like Lower Saxony poses a great challenge. In rural regions, it is difficult to obtain specialist appointments – this applies especially to orthopedists, said Philippi. "If you don't want to see a particular doctor, you usually have the opportunity to get an appointment within four weeks by calling the service number 116 117."
In the context of improving healthcare in Lower Saxony, Minister Andreas Philippi draws inspiration from the Netherland's requirement for a referral from a general practitioner to visit a specialist doctor. The proposed change aims to reduce the burden on specialists by encouraging prior consultations. This shift is expected to improve the efficiency of specialist appointments, especially in rural areas where access can be challenging, such as for orthopedists. Further, patients in Lower Saxony have the option to secure appointments with preferred specialists within four weeks by contacting the service number 116 117, according to Philippi.
