Care of the future instead of costs in focus

The Neuchâtel, the Puschlaver and the Oberwalliser have felt it for a long time. The problems are also piling up in the Jura. And even in Aargau there are communities that are no longer cared for: the lack of general practitioners is acute in many places in Switzerland. Already today thousands of doctors in retirement age help fill the gaps. Many more are about to the pension. Around 4,000 additional doctors would need to ensure good basic care.

At the federal level, the problem is recognized, and politics also pursues various slopes to remedy the defect: more training positions, stronger focus on family doctor training as well as strengthening pharmacists and practice assistants in order to provide low-threshold help.

But none of this is enough. Two out of three newly approved doctors in Switzerland hold a foreign diploma. Despite the great effect, a trend reversal is not foreseeable in training.

Now the Council of States has set new course this week so that people will continue to be medically well cared for in the future. First, basic suppliers such as pediatricians and general practitioners are to be better recovered over higher tariffs. It would be plenty of naive to believe that it is pure interest that doctors for radiology decide instead of general medicine. Money makes a difference.

The second lever is the national supply planning: the Council of States has this week Surprisingly clearly decided to disempower the cantons in hospital planningif they still do not coordinate their planning. According to the constitution, the cantons are responsible for health care. But even the cantonal representatives in the Council of States torn the thread of patience: concentrated care is overdue.

This is not only desirable due to the cost pressure in the healthcare system. In view of the tight resources in nursing and medicine, it is an absolute need to finally reduce the overcapacity. The high hospital density degenerates into a luxury that we can no longer afford due to lack of specialists. A concentration of the offer also releases forces that can help where they are most needed: in the family practice directly in the patient.