NRW's Plan to Tackle Impending GP Shortage in Rural Areas
North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) is taking proactive steps to tackle an impending shortage of general practitioners (GPs), particularly in rural areas like Ostwestfalen-Lippe. A joint study by Barmer and the Bertelsmann Foundation warns of a significant deficit within the next 15 years due to demographic changes and an aging workforce.
NRW's strategy involves multiple initiatives. Firstly, it's boosting medical education funding and establishing family medicine training programs to attract and prepare future GPs. Secondly, financial incentives are offered to lure doctors to underserved rural areas. These include grants of up to 60,000 euros or favorable loans for setting up a practice.
The 'Landarzt quota' program allocates medical study places to applicants who commit to working as GPs in these regions for at least ten years post-graduation. To enhance coverage, NRW is also promoting telemedicine and better digitization of GP practices. However, current GPs express reluctance to maintain their current workload in the future. To mitigate this, task delegation to therapeutic and nursing professions, and targeted GP trainee recruitment are suggested.
NRW's comprehensive plan aims to address the looming GP shortage. By investing in education, offering incentives, and promoting digitalization, the region hopes to attract and retain more GPs, particularly in rural areas. However, the success of these measures depends on the willingness of current and future GPs to commit to these regions and adapt to changing work patterns.
