Shortage of doctors: Saxony wants to ensure healthcare provision

Symptom of a shortage of doctors: Saxony wants to step up its efforts to provide safe healthcare. Following the cabinet meeting in Oschatz on Tuesday, Health Minister Petra Köpping (SPD) called on all stakeholders to join in. "Special efforts are needed to meet the demand for doctors in Saxony." There is no simple overall solution. Rather, many measures would have to be constantly considered further.

Köpping reported, among other things, on proposals to increase the number of study places for human medicine and, for the first time, the number of places in dentistry. In human medicine, the number of places for first-year students has already been significantly increased to 615. With a view to university development from 2025 onwards, the aim is to campaign for a further 109 places in the next budget negotiations.

According to Köpping, the Saxony Association of Statutory Health Insurance Dentists (KZVS) and the State Chamber of Dentists have called for a "state dentist quota". By 2030, more than 60 percent of dentists in private practice in Saxony would reach retirement age. "We support this plan if the conditions are right. The advance quota is only legally permissible if the goal cannot be achieved just as effectively with a less drastic measure," said Köpping. With such quotas, preference is given to applicants who commit to working in areas with high demand at a later date.

The Minister praised the KZVS for supporting those interested in working as a dentist in rural areas. "By providing tangible financial support, we want to encourage young dentists to get to know regions outside of the study locations," explained KZVS CEO Holger Weißig. However, it is essential that local authorities and legislators create better conditions so that dentists choose to live in Saxony in the future.

A 20-point program already adopted by the government also includes measures for the further training of doctors in rural areas. From 2024, there will be a flat-rate subsidy of 10,000 euros per practice for the further training of junior doctors if there is a risk of undersupply in the area in question or if there is a need for additional local care, emphasized Klaus Heckemann, head of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Saxony (KVS).

"However, all activities to recruit staff will only be successful if the structures and working conditions develop accordingly at the same time," he said. Therefore, topics such as health centers in rural areas, relieving the burden on doctors by delegating medical services as well as telemedicine and digitalization are on the agenda. At the same time, reducing bureaucracy is an important concern. According to Köpping, barriers to doctors setting up in business must be removed.