“Practice in Need” campaign starts into a new phase / First day of protest with tens of thousands of practices
02.10.2023 12:56
Just in time for the first nationwide day of protest by associations and initiatives on October 2, 2023, the Virchowbund is presenting new posters and a new communication strategy: “After the actions of the Federal Minister of Health turn out to be more of a problem than a solution, we are giving the campaign a shout with the claim “Stop Lauterbach!' a new direction. It is a clear signal to the health politicians of the traffic light coalition and to Chancellor Olaf Scholz to finally put a stop to Lauterbach's activities," explains Dr. Dirk Heinrich, federal chairman of the Virchowbund.
The reason for this is the current experience that Lauterbach ignores practice doctors with his projects and wants to irretrievably convert the health system towards state medicine:
Practice doctors feel disrespected by Lauterbach
“We previously assumed that Lauterbach was only blind in the outpatient eye. But when the nationwide representation for all around 140,000 contracted doctors and psychotherapists formulates a letter with demands to the Federal Minister of Health and, when asked publicly a few days later, he replies that he receives letters 'almost every day, sometimes from industry, sometimes from self-government', he disqualifies the emergency call from the contracted doctor as an insignificant direct mail item. In connection with his succinct remark 'tempi passati', this makes clear the full extent of his disregard for all German doctors. This is unique in this form so far,” explains the Virchowbund boss.
Pressure on practice doctors is increasing
At the same time, Lauterbach wants to create facts: practices are being starved further by inflation, energy price increases and inadequate financing agreements with health insurance companies for years. Together with the increased shortage of skilled workers and dysfunctional digitalization, the pressure on doctors in practice is increasing. Another burden is the budgeting that has been in place for 30 years and which the Federal Minister of Health is not tackling. Not even the de-budgeting of general practitioners agreed in the coalition agreement is yet to be implemented. His reform of the 30-year-old fee schedule for doctors (GOÄ), which was deliberately delayed for ideological reasons, completes the picture.
The course is being set towards state medicine
At the same time, Lauterbach is using the fig leaf of an impending undersupply to completely restructure the outpatient healthcare system according to his ideology: By setting up health kiosks, primary medical care centers and health regions, he is planning largely doctor-free basic care through so-called community health nurses and other paramedical professions. With the further expansion of the state's ability to influence approvals and medical facilities, the course towards state medicine has finally been set.
“He is consciously accepting a structural change at the expense of the independent academic medical professions, such as pharmacists, doctors and dentists. This development must be stopped by the traffic light parties, hence our demand 'Stop Lauterbach!',” says Dr. Heinrich.
18 associations are now taking part in the “Praxis in Not” campaign initiated by the Virchowbund. The campaign provides a communicative and visual framework for the protest by resident doctors against current health policy. An overview list of protest actions and a protest map are now integrated into the campaign website www.praxisinnot.de.
The actions, such as B. the nationwide practice closures on October 2, 2023, will be organized and coordinated by the participating associations, regional initiatives or individual statutory health insurance associations. According to the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV), a nationwide emergency and on-call service is organized on this day by the regional statutory health insurance associations.
The first nationwide day of protest is the start of further protest actions by medical professional associations and statutory health insurance associations. According to initial estimates, tens of thousands of practices will take part in the practice closures on October 2nd.
The supporters of the “Praxis in Not” campaign:
- Virchowbund
- German professional association of ear, nose and throat doctors
- Professional Association of German Dermatologists
- Association of Medical Professionals
- Professional association of practicing surgeons
- Association of private medical clearinghouses
- Top association of specialist doctors in Germany
- German professional association of specialists in phoniatrics and pediatric audiology
- Professional association for orthopedics and trauma surgery
- Professional Association of Resident Gastroenterologists in Germany
- Free medical profession
- Professional Association of Ophthalmologists in Germany
- Professional Association of German Neuroradiologists
- Federal Association of Psychosomatic Medicine and Medical Psychotherapy
- Professional Association of German Human Genetics
- Professional Association of German Internists
- Professional Association of German Urology
- Federal Association of Physical Rehabilitative Medicine