Struggling Doctor's Practices in Schleswig-Holstein: A Growing Personnel Crisis
Numerous health facilities across Schleswig-Holstein face staff shortages. - Numerous healthcare facilities across Schleswig-Holstein are struggling with staff shortages.
The medical landscape in Schleswig-Holstein is seeing a pronounced crunch, with an alarming shortage of Medical Assistants (MFAs) plaguing numerous doctor's practices in the region. This grim reality, as depicted by doctors' representatives, is having a detrimental impact on the everyday operations of these establishments.
According to numbers from the Association of Medical Professions, as of the midpoint of last year, there were 14,929 MFAs working in Schleswig-Holstein's practices. However, the association's president, Hannelore König, points out that the demographic trend is evident within this profession, with a decreasing number of trainees since 2021.
MFAs are giving up their positions due to factors such as a salary that does not match their responsibility for patients' health, daily stress, and comparable health professions. As König explains, this exodus from the profession is further exacerbating the crisis at hand.
Without the invaluable support of MFAs, a practice essentially ceases to function effectively, as Jens Lassen, chairman of the House Doctors' Association Schleswig-Holstein, asserts. The role of MFAs is central to the smooth running of a practice, and their absence results in a practice being all but handicapped.
This personnel shortage translates to immediate, real-world implications for patient care, Lassen calls attention to. This includes longer waiting times, restrictions in services, and an increased workload for doctors.
The effects of this crisis on doctor's practices are indeed substantial, as Delf Kröger, spokesman for the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bad Segeberg, corroborates. Doctors are finding it difficult to hire competent MFAs, with well-trained ones being a crucial asset to any practice.
Be it specialists or general practitioners, the shortage of skilled workers is a common issue across the healthcare sector, with doctors observing that competitors like clinics, which offer superior conditions, are poaching their staff. Kröger, therefore, urged for adequate funding for doctor's practices, allowing them the means to attract and retain skilled workers as employers.
This staffing crisis appears likely to worsen in the future, as König warns. With the retirement of the baby boomer generation looming and an increased demand for MFAs to alleviate doctors, the shortfall is poised to grow. Until the competition for MFAs between doctor's practices and clinics is leveled, the crisis in doctor's practices will continue to escalate, particularly in cities close to clinics.
Despite significant salary increases for Medical Technical Assistants (MTAs) in recent years due to the efforts of the association of medical professions, the wage gap compared to other professions remains sizeable. MTAs possess the same training duration as nursing professionals, carry a similarly heavy patient responsibility, and deserve commensurate remuneration, according to König.
To tackle this predicament, it is essential that the increases in collective wage agreements for practicing physicians are co-funded, ensuring that the rise in salaries for MTAs is fully factored into the funding of healthcare services.
- Medical Practice
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Schleswig
- Holstein
Insight:
While specific measures aimed at resolving the shortage of MFAs in Schleswig-Holstein's doctor's practices aren't readily apparent, the broader healthcare landscape in Germany offers some clues. For instance, Germany faces significant nursing shortages, particularly in long-term care settings, and German nursing homes are being studied for potential solutions[1]. The German government has also been focusing on environmental and energy policies, although there have been tax concessions for social security institutions, hospitals, and medical services, which could support healthcare infrastructure[2]. Innovative strategies such as digital follow-up services could potentially ease the burden on healthcare staff and support patient care[4]. Local healthcare authorities might explore initiatives like training programs, incentives for recruitment, and digital solutions to mitigate the MFA shortage.
- To address the growing crisis in Schleswig-Holstein's medical practices, it might be beneficial to investigate innovative strategies like digital follow-up services, which could potentially alleviate the burden on healthcare staff and support patient care.
- Considering the alarming shortage of Medical Assistants in Schleswig-Holstein's medical practices, local healthcare authorities could consider implementing training programs, incentives for recruitment, and digital solutions to bridge the skills gap and support health-and-wellness and chronic-disease management in the community.
