Medical Services Advocacy Proposed in the Northern Region by SPD
In response to the impending retirement of approximately one-third of general practitioners (GPs) and the resulting medical care supply gap, especially in rural areas, German states are taking strategic measures to address the issue. These measures focus on incentives, healthcare infrastructure, and employment conditions.
To retain and attract younger GPs, German states are working on improving employment conditions that appeal to the new generation of doctors. This includes offering more flexible working hours, part-time opportunities, and reducing the burden of solo practice by promoting group practices or employment in larger medical centers. These steps aim to combat burnout and improve work-life balance, which are significant factors influencing younger doctors’ career choices.
A key approach is the expansion of medical care centers (MVZs – Medizinische Versorgungszentren). These centers provide multidisciplinary care, allowing GPs to collaborate closely with specialists and other healthcare professionals, thus offering comprehensive care in one location. This model is especially promoted in rural areas to counteract the scarcity of GPs by pooling resources and enabling better access to medical services.
Germany’s healthcare system is adapting to move away from predominantly independent GP practices toward more salaried or employed models within medical care centers or hospitals. This shift helps reduce the administrative and financial pressures on individual GPs and provides more stable and attractive working environments for younger physicians. The statutory health insurance system supports these changes by covering GPs under public health insurance frameworks, which facilitates predictable income and social benefits.
Targeted training and education efforts are underway to prepare more doctors for general practice, acknowledging the critical shortage. Some states and institutions also promote continuous professional development in areas like occupational medicine to improve care quality and keep GPs engaged.
While international recruitment has helped other countries address doctor shortages, Germany focuses more on systemic changes within the training and working conditions to sustainably increase the domestic supply of GPs.
The North German Doctors' Cooperative chairman, Svante Gehring, emphasized the need for new care concepts due to the worsening personnel situation. The SPD faction is calling for a funding program to secure medical care in Schleswig-Holstein. The decreasing number of newly established general practitioners in Schleswig-Holstein is already causing consequences for the people. The SPD's plans to submit a motion to expand medical care centers and offer incentives for general practitioners to set up practice in the upcoming state parliament session from July 23 to 25 may address the employment preferences of the younger generation, who prefer employment rather than self-employment.
Rural areas in Schleswig-Holstein are particularly affected by the supply shortages caused by the decreasing number of general practitioners. Finding successors for retiring GPs is often challenging. SPD faction leader Serpil Midyatli emphasized the need to set the right course today to strengthen medical care in the region and prevent supply gaps.
[1] Source: North German Doctors' Cooperative (Nordärztliche Kassenärztliche Vereinigung Schleswig-Holstein) [3] Source: SPD faction in Schleswig-Holstein's state parliament [5] Source: German Federal Ministry of Health (Bundesministerium für Gesundheit)
In the heightened effort to bridge the medical care supply gap, especially in rural areas, German states plan to appeal to younger GPs by enhancing employment conditions, such as implementing flexible working hours, part-time opportunities, and fostering group practices or employment in larger medical centers (health-and-wellness). To tackle chronic diseases and medical-conditions more effectively, the expansion of medical care centers (MVZs – Medizinische Versorgungszentren) is being promoted, particularly in rural areas, to facilitate comprehensive, multidisciplinary care (science).
