Family doctor appointment in Tölzer Land?

"Is not a request concert"

Created: 07/12/2022, 06:30

By: Felicitas Bogner

Getting an appointment with your family doctor is not easy.

The doctors work at the limit and struggle with bureaucratic hurdles and guidelines from the insurance companies.

Relief through the opening of a practice in Reichersbeuern "Many health insurance companies are only for healthy people" © dpa

A plethora of acute infections, many older people in the region: family doctor practices in the district are at the limit and not just at the moment.

There are a number of reasons for the shortage of doctors.

Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen

- Everyone needs a family doctor, but anyone who wants to be admitted to a practice will notice: Even in the Tölzer Land it is no longer a matter of course for a new patient to get an appointment with a family doctor.

In some practices there is already a freeze on admissions.

The doctors are under constant stress.

From Dr.

That's no wonder for Matthias Hügelberger, the chairman of the "Tölzer family doctors".

“The situation is not new.

We have a high supply requirement in the area, as the entire Oberland has experienced an influx.

Many people here are 70 years and older,” he explains.

In addition, Corona has made the misery worse: "There is no corona relaxation in the practices," emphasizes Hühnerberger.

In addition, many of his colleagues would moan because of the “huge numbers of acute infectious patients”.

According to the Tölz family doctor, normal work and planning of consultation hours is impossible.

To make matters worse, the prescribed hygiene measures, such as wet disinfection after each patient, slow down practice processes.

The shortage of skilled workers also plays a bad role.

These circumstances would now be forced to feel the patients.

"Everything is taking longer now and as a patient you have to be flexible when making appointments," says Hühnerberger, emphasizing: "Getting an appointment with your family doctor is no longer a wish concert."

Relief through the opening of a practice in Reichersbeuern

However, the opening of the Reichersbeur general practice by Dr.

Johanna Eras in May of this year, he reports.

"Following the void created by the closure of Dr.

Sebastian Schindeles practice left, my practice fills up continuously,” reports Eras.

She mainly has patients from the immediate vicinity.

"But more and more are coming from further away, so Wackersberg, Lenggries, even a few from Bad Aibling," reports the doctor.

"Elderly people in particular are happy that there is again a practice within walking distance," she remarks.

After the doctor was previously employed in a practice in Bad Wiessee, she considered for a long time whether she should take the big step of opening her own practice.

"You can't hide the negative points and risks." After all, a branch is associated with "an incredible amount of bureaucracy, planning uncertainties with the cash registers and the risk of recourse".

So far she has been satisfied in Reichersbeuern.

"Fortunately, the saying 'There's magic in every beginning' has been true so far," she says.

Eras is also happy about their reliable staff.

So far, however, she has only had half a cash register seat.

"I could well imagine an expansion, but that's not just in my hands," she says.

The Münsingen family doctor, Dr.

Jörg Lohse feels the imbalance between the number of patients and the capacities of family doctors.

"Nevertheless, in a nationwide comparison, we still have heavenly conditions when it comes to family doctor care."

One reason for the shortage is "that the generation of general practitioners who work 70 hours a week is dying out," says Lohse.

This is not least due to the fact that many people are increasingly paying attention to a healthy balance between work and leisure time.

"Perhaps not everyone has seen the self-abandonment that the profession sometimes involves."

According to Lohse, the fact that more women are working in medicine also plays a role.

“A woman who has children cannot reconcile a 70-hour week with the family.

That's clear.” Lohse himself has three adult daughters.

All are doctors.

"But nobody wants to take over the practice."

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"Many cash registers are only for healthy people"

In addition, "not all, but very many" health insurance companies make life difficult for general practitioners.

"If you're talking about a customer instead of a patient, you know what hit it," he says.

The problem is that many health insurance companies are "rather designed for a healthy person."

But what is an attractive job as a doctor?

“Young colleagues enjoy working in the clinic.

Otherwise, many doctors in specialist practices find it less binding and more pleasant.” The family doctor is also the family doctor and coordinator of all medical matters, Lohse is certain that this is on a more private level.

In his practice there is still no admission stop.

“Anyone who needs medical care can get it.

For certain things that are not urgent, you have to accept longer waiting times.”

there will be no relief in the situation in the future.

"The health insurers propose to the doctors annual zero rounds of fees, although energy prices and personnel costs are exploding in addition to inflation," he points out.

You can find more current news from the region around Bad Tölz at Merkur.de/Bad Tölz.