Struggling Medical Practices in Schleswig-Holstein Face Severe Staff Shortages
Numerous medical establishments across Schleswig-Holstein struggle with staffing shortages. - Numerous healthcare facilities in Schleswig-Holstein are experiencing staff shortages.
In Schleswig-Holstein, medical practices are grappling with a severe shortage of medical assistants (MFA). This staffing crisis is causing daily operational challenges, according to representatives of the medical community.
As of the mid-last year, there were 14,929 MFA working in Schleswig-Holstein medical practices, as reported by the Association of Medical Professions. "The demographic trend is also reflected in this profession. The number of trainees has been decreasing since 2021," says association president Hannelore König.
Many MFA are also leaving the profession due to factors like low salaries compared to the responsibility for health, daily stress, and other comparable health professions, König explained.
"A practice functions based on MFA"
"MFA form the backbone of practices. A practice functions based on them," says Jens Lassen, chairman of the House Doctors' Association Schleswig-Holstein. The profession is dynamic and evolving, with many Schleswig-Holstein practices in desperate need of MFA - Lassen was unable to provide exact numbers.
"This is an urgent problem. A shortage of MFA directly reduces a practice's capacity and has immediate effects on patient care: longer waiting times, restrictions in the range of services, increased workload for doctors," explains Lassen.
"A significant challenge for medical practices"
"We know that the shortage of skilled workers in practices is a significant challenge and impacts doctors significantly," says Delf Kröger, spokesperson for the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians in Bad Segeberg. It is challenging for doctors to find qualified MFA. Well-trained assistants are essential for a practice's smooth operation.
The staff shortage affects all specialties. Doctors are also finding that skilled workers are poached by competitors like hospitals, which offer better terms. "We, therefore, demand adequate funding for medical practices. They must be able to pay competitive salaries as employers," says Kröger.
Staff shortage expected to worsen
The 2023 labor market shortage analysis by the Federal Employment Agency in the Schleswig-Holstein/Hamburg region showed that four out of six criteria suggested a shortage. The ratio of job seekers to vacancies continued to decrease and only recovered after final exams. In Schleswig-Holstein, this value was above 1.1 for several months in 2024.
Association president König believes that the shortage will increase in the future. "Because on the one hand, the baby boomer generation is retiring soon, and on the other hand, more MFA are needed to relieve doctors," she says.
As long as the competition for MFAs between medical practices and hospitals remains unbalanced, the shortage in medical practices will persist, says König. "This greatly affects larger cities and the vicinity of hospitals."
Wage gaps with comparable professions
The association of medical professions has scored significant salary increases for medical assistants in recent years. However, the pay gap compared to other healthcare professions remains substantial. Medical assistants have the same training duration as nursing professionals, namely three years, and shoulder the same level of patient responsibility, says the president.
"This should also be reflected in the salary. The prerequisite for this - as in nursing - is that the increases in collective agreements are co-financed and thus fully reflected in the financing of the services provided by practicing physicians," explains Hannelore König.
Medical Practice
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Schleswig
- Holstein
Insights
- The healthcare staffing shortage in Germany affects not only medical assistants but various healthcare roles, including nurses [5];
- Potential strategies to alleviate shortages could involve expanding educational programs, offering competitive salaries or benefits, recruiting internationally, and redesigning workflows [Enrichment];The European Centre for Minority Issues, based in Schleswig, focuses on minority-majority relations and social issues, which might be relevant in addressing healthcare workforce challenges in regions like Schleswig-Holstein [3, Enrichment].
- To alleviate the persistent staff shortage in Schleswig-Holstein's medical practices, it is crucial to explore solutions like expanding vocational training programs, offering competitive wages and benefits, or recruiting internationally.
- As medical-conditions continue to strain Schleswig-Holstein's healthcare resources, it could be beneficial for the community policy to consider implementing workplace-wellness programs that address the wellbeing of vocational training students in health-and-wellness professions, like medical assistants, to potentially encourage more individuals to join and stay in these vital careers.
