The shortage of GPs in Saxony continues. According to an overview by the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, as of July 1, there were 111 vacancies in the Dresden region, 247 in the Chemnitz region and 26 in the Leipzig region. In total, there was a shortage of 384 doctors. At the beginning of 2023, the shortage was even greater, as a question from the Left Party in the state parliament revealed. At that time, there was a gap of 451 vacancies. There is a supply problem in rural areas in particular.
Doctors in private practice often cannot find a successor for their practice
The Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Saxony (KV) sees the shortage as an effect of an ageing population and medical profession. Older patients need more medical care and are less mobile in rural areas. "Older doctors in private practice often cannot find a successor for their practice. The problem is filling vacancies - there are major differences between the specialist groups and also between the regions as well as urban and rural areas," the KV Saxony said in response to a query.
According to the KV, there is also a shift in life and work models: "The work-life balance is changing into a work-life balance. People are foregoing financial income and working less in order to gain leisure time. Young doctors tend to decide more often not to set up their own practice and work as employees, increasingly only part-time." There is a shortage of specialists, especially in rural areas.
