Shortage of staff and overtime: Overworked clinic doctors think about changing careers

Created: 09/15/2022, 15:13

More and more overburdened clinic doctors in Lower Saxony are considering a career change.

Working conditions in hospitals also have an impact on patient safety.

Hanover – Not enough staff, too much overtime, poor working conditions: According to a new survey, a good fifth of hospital doctors in Lower Saxony are considering giving up their profession.

According to a study by the Marburger Bund doctors' union, another 19 percent of those surveyed do not fundamentally rule out a career change, as reported by hna.de.

"The health system must be fundamentally reformed," demanded the chairman of the Marburg Association of Lower Saxony, Hans Martin Wollenberg.

On average, the additional workload is 6.3 hours a week.

With around 17,200 clinicians in the country, this corresponds to more than 2,700 full-time positions, which the clinicians filled with overtime.

Overworked doctors: Clinic doctors in Lower Saxony are thinking about changing careers

More and more people in medical professions are considering a career change.

The reason is the often precarious working conditions that prevail in hospitals - also in Lower Saxony.

(Iconic image) © Patrick Seeger/dpa/Iconic image

More than a quarter of those surveyed received neither money nor time off in lieu for overtime.

Almost a fifth said they worked more than 60 hours a week, and two percent even worked more than 80 hours a week.

"For me it is a frustrating and grueling state when I have to decide between my health and the patient's health in my work as a doctor," one doctor was quoted as saying.

The healthcare system needs to be fundamentally reformed.

Hans Martin Wollenberg, Chairman of the Marburg Association of Lower Saxony

Because it is impossible to provide patients with more time and empathy, another doctor was quoted in the survey - who no longer wants to work as a doctor because of "endless stress with paperwork".

In addition, according to a survey, 39 percent of those surveyed in Lower Saxony experienced a reduction in medical positions during the corona pandemic, while the figure was 34 percent nationwide.

That aggravated the situation, said Marburger Bund Vice Andreas Hammerschmidt.

According to the survey, 67 percent of those surveyed complain about the working conditions, and almost a third said they were not given the opportunity to record their time from their employer.

The result: "The colleagues are doing their own labor market reform and are reducing the number of jobs in order to be able to somehow bear the burden," said Hammerschmidt.

31 percent of those surveyed now work part-time – in 2019 their share was 29 percent.

Doctors in hospitals complain about "endless stress with paperwork"

Around 1,300 employed doctors in Lower Saxony took part in the study last May and June, 85 percent of whom are reportedly clinicians.

According to the Marburger Bund, this is the largest doctor survey in the country.

Another big point of criticism: The bureaucratic effort involved in patient documentation.

Hans Martin Wollenberg, Chairman of the Marburg Association of Lower Saxony © Julian Stratenschulte/dpa

Almost a third of those surveyed lose four hours or more a day with "paperwork", said Hammerschmidt.

"I became a doctor because I want to heal patients," he emphasized.

In the end, this time at the patient's bed is missing.

He summed up that appeals to politicians had done nothing: "Unfortunately, the opposite is the case."

In view of the results of the study, the Marburger Bund called for more staff in the hospitals, a limitation of shift, on-call and on-call services, appropriate financing of the care offers, more medical study places, no further privatization of hospitals, the abolition of flat-rate fees per case and the relief of Bureaucracy.

In addition, the doctors' union spoke out in favor of a special fund from the state of Lower Saxony for energy-related renovation and the construction of new clinics.

The fund volume has not yet been defined, but the investment backlog is several billion euros, said Hammerschmidt.

(dpa/rdg)

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