Enlarge image

GP practice in Saxony: Currently almost eight million acute respiratory diseases in Germany

Photograph:

Sebastian Kahnert / dpa

According to the Association of General Practitioners, the current high number of infections in acute respiratory diseases is pushing practices to the edge of their capacity. "We are currently experiencing exactly what we warned about in the summer," said the association's chairman, Markus Beier, to the editorial network Germany (RND). "GP practices are once again walking on their gums – even though the flu season hasn't even started yet."

Crisis summit with Lauterbach called for

Corona, colds and occasionally even flu have Germany firmly in its grip in the run-up to Christmas 2023. In last week's report by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), there was extrapolated talk of about 7.9 million acute respiratory diseases (previous report: 7.1 million) nationwide – regardless of visits to the doctor. After Corona in particular has been dominating for some time, the RKI recently proclaimed the beginning of the RSV wave (RSV stands for respiratory syncytial virus infections). Even though flu detections are already increasing, the flu wave triggered by influenza viruses is still imminent, according to the RKI.

Nevertheless, in many places patients are already no longer getting appointments, waiting times are getting longer and longer, and there is hardly any time left for the treatment itself, complained Beier. This is due to wrong political decisions in recent years. From Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD), the head of the association again called for a crisis summit to ensure general practitioner care. Among other things, a reduction in bureaucracy is needed. "Otherwise, more and more people will simply find themselves without a family doctor's practice."

Lauterbach had recently advocated issuing certificates of incapacity for work for parents of sick children by telephone in addition to telephone sick leave. In both cases, it has recently been possible to take time off from work by telephone again.

apr/dpa