Tierspital am Schliersee: Doctor clarifies increased costs - "extreme shortage of skilled workers"

Created: 2023-01-02 18:14

By: Jonas Napiletzki

Technically advanced: Dr.

Jannis Uhrig sees the price increases as justified by better treatment options.

In addition, there are wage increases that are intended to slow down the impending shortage of skilled workers.

© Private/Moritz Attenberger

With the new fee schedule, veterinary costs will increase by 20 to 30 percent.

The head of the animal hospital at Schliersee explains the reasons.

Hausham

– If you take your dog to the vet, you pay 35.43 euros plus VAT for the general examination in Hausham.

So far it has been a good eight euros less, says Dr.

Jannis Uhrig, head of the animal hospital at Schliersee.

The price increase in the basic service is an example of the new scale of fees for veterinarians, which has been in force nationwide for around a month - a development that is important for veterinarians and annoying for some customers.

But: "Responsibility for a pet doesn't stop with the cost of feed - it's always been like that," emphasizes Uhrig.

Treatment costs have risen by an average of 20 to 30 percent, but the previous fee schedule dates back to 1999. Adjusted for inflation, the increase is "moderate", even if it can hurt in individual cases.

For example, cats are billed at the same price as dogs.

“They are just as much part of the family today and the effort is the same,” says Uhrig.

"Extreme shortage of skilled workers" also among veterinarians

However, practice has been proactively clarifying this for a long time.

This includes flyers in practice, social media posts and discussions with customers.

"The coincidence with the general price shock was not foreseeable."

Most of the customers who come to the animal hospital in the former gatehouse understand, probably also because of the educational work.

"People know how expensive good care is." The business has not changed significantly so far.

Nevertheless, it is important for Uhrig to emphasize that nobody who shies away from expensive treatments is looked at obliquely.

"We recommend the medically best option - but work out a plan with the customer in which we can do without individual diagnostic methods and start with the most likely reasons."

The new fee schedule is necessary in any case.

"An extreme shortage of skilled workers is also approaching in veterinary medicine," warns the hospital director.

Both the nationwide supply is at risk and, in particular, the emergency service that is available in Hausham between 8 a.m. and midnight.

In Thuringia, Schleswig-Holstein or in Saxony-Anhalt, for example, the nationwide supply is already limited, says Uhrig.

"The new fee schedule helps us to be able to offer the emergency service at least to cover costs."

Animals are living longer

So far, the evening hours have been a subsidy business, especially since the tariff for veterinary assistants (TFA) was increased by 20 to 25 percent almost at the same time as the new prices.

"We expressly welcome this because the TFAs are an incredibly important part of our operations," says Uhrig.

Only with the increase would the salaries of the lower tariff levels differ from the minimum wage - urgently needed in times of a shortage of skilled workers.

According to Uhrig, the shortage is also due to the fact that the requirements have increased enormously.

The 45-year-old has been working as a veterinarian for 15 years and says: "The necessary knowledge, skills and human and technical equipment have increased significantly." .

For example, a cardiologist and a surgeon work in the gatehouse.

As a result, animals would live longer and longer.

"The higher costs are offset by much better treatment." This is shown, for example, by the fact that diseases such as cancer are treated in animals today that simply did not exist in the past because the furry family members did not get old enough.

With advances in medicine, some items have also become cheaper.

"X-rays cost less than before because we no longer have to develop the images manually." nap

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