Shortage of family doctors in Görlitz: Niedzielski withdraws, chaos threatens!

Shortage of family doctors in Görlitz: Niedzielski withdraws, chaos threatens!

There is great uncertainty in Görlitz-Königshufen: Christoph Niedzielski, the region's popular family doctor, is giving up his practice at the end of the year. This news has alarmed patients in the city, because from October he will only be offering emergency consultations, while regular appointments will be cancelled. “The search for a successor has so far been unsuccessful,” reports Saxon. There are currently 37.5 family doctor positions vacant in the Görlitz district, 10.5 of which are in Görlitz alone. This situation increases the already existing pressure on medical care in the area.

The supply of general practitioners in the region is 86.3 percent, which means that there is a quiet fire everywhere. Patients like Jan Fackelmann already have to get up early to stand in line at the new family doctor's practice, which starts at 4:45 a.m. “It’s a real race for appointments,” he says. The new family doctor, Dr. med. Iris Sperling, expects a high rush and warns that not everyone waiting can find space in her practice.

Missing successors and pressing problems

The situation becomes particularly explosive when you consider that the Weißwasser area has the lowest supply level in the administrative district at just 79.1 percent. “We are experiencing a dramatic shortage of family doctors that will only get worse over the years,” says Dr. Wolfgang Miller from the Baden-Württemberg Medical Association. This shortage is caused not only by long-established doctors retiring, but also by the lack of new blood. According to current forecasts, one in two family doctors could quit in the next ten years, which could lead to around 11,000 unfilled positions Robert Bosch Foundation warns.

The problems are manifold: bureaucratic hurdles, an aging medical workforce and the increasing workload mean that many doctors opt for part-time jobs or jobs in clinics. Georg Stupka, who shares the practice space with Niedzielski, cannot take on the patients because he is already very busy - he treats 1,500 to 1,650 patients per quarter and has an additional 170 home visit patients.

Is there hope for patients?

A ray of hope? Georg Stupka has already placed an advertisement to recruit a doctor, but no one has responded so far. Nevertheless, he is investing in optimizing his practice and is working on a website that will help improve processes and shorten waiting times. “We urgently need to do something so that we can care for the patients,” said Stupka.

Politicians have also recognized the situation and are offering, among other things, financial incentives for opening new practices. So far, however, the rush has not been sufficient to resolve the looming dilemma. “We need long-term changes in working conditions and less bureaucracy,” demands Minister of Health.

The situation in Görlitz and the surrounding region is a defining expression of a problem that is far from just local. More and more people are faced with the challenge of finding a family doctor and it will be a long time before a solution is in sight. The next few months will show whether it will be possible to offer patients the care they need or whether the queues will continue to grow. It remains to be hoped that the pressure on decision-makers will lead to effective measures.