In 2035, there will probably be a shortage of around 11,000 GPs throughout Germany. This is made clear for the first time by a study by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, which also shows which cities and rural districts will be particularly affected by the GP shortage.
According to the study conducted by the Berlin-based IGES Institute on behalf of the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, around 40 percent of all districts in Germany will be undersupplied or threatened with undersupply. The situation is alarming and requires urgent measures to ensure medical care in these affected regions.
Citizens in Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Baden-Württemberg could be particularly affected, as it may be difficult for them to find a GP in the future. In some districts, a decline of around 50 percent in the number of GPs is even expected by 2035. To counteract this impending shortage of GPs, the development of health centres is a promising solution. These centres could fill the gaps in care and give people in underserved areas better access to medical care.
It is of utmost importance that policy makers and health authorities act early and develop appropriate strategies to address the challenges of the GP shortage. The study by the Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH and the IGES Institute provides important findings that can serve as a basis for targeted measures to ensure healthcare provision in Germany in the future.
