Torben Ostendorf, chairman of the Saxon Association of Family Physicians, describes the coalition’s plans to abolish sick leave by phone as “catastrophic for medical practices.” The physician fears a massive increase in workload, because every sick note would then have to be issued during a face-to-face doctor-patient consultation at the practice. “And often these are people who have infectious diseases, who are in the midst of a cold season, who have gastrointestinal infections, or similar conditions.”
On top of that, people living in underserved or poorly served regions of Saxony sometimes have to travel long distances just to obtain a sick note at all. “In the Vogtland region, for example, someone might have to drive 35 kilometers to their family doctor’s office just to pick up a note,” said Ostendorf. Although it is now possible to submit a sick note to health insurance providers digitally, the coalition’s plans still require a personal visit to the doctor’s office. This is also no longer in line with the times, as avoiding unnecessary emissions plays a role in the era of climate change.
