Everyone on vacation

Shortage of doctors during the fall vacations causes displeasure

Vacation time is vacation time and this is also the case for many statutory health insurance physicians who have closed their practices during the autumn vacations.(Bild: stock.adobe.com null)

Patients in Burgenland are increasingly complaining about the lack of medical care during the fall vacations. In Oberwart, only one general practitioner's surgery is currently open. This is also noticeable in the clinic.

Anyone who needs to see a doctor during the fall vacations will most likely find themselves standing in front of closed doors. Patients in Oberwart, a town with a population of 8,000, are also very unhappy about the lack of medical care. The simultaneous absence of several general practitioners has led to a massive shortage of care in the district suburb. Only one surgery is open during the vacation week, and on Tuesday all surgeries were closed.

Patient volume causes longer waiting times
Due to the high volume of patients, the remaining surgery is currently experiencing extremely long waiting times. Manuela P. also sat in the waiting room for four hours to get an infusion for her back pain. Today, Thursday, the same fate awaits her. Despite the annoyance of long waiting times, patients are very understanding of the doctors on duty. However, the big "but" remains. "In situations like this, you feel like a second-class patient. Politicians always say that everything is being done to ensure the best medical care in Burgenland, but at times like this, the disillusionment is huge," she says.

Many patients are currently having to switch to a different GP, where they are disgruntled about the extremely long waiting times.(Bild: stock.adobe.com null)

Full outpatient clinics at Oberwart Clinic
The current shortage of doctors is also clearly noticeable in the acute coordination department of Gesundheit Burgenland and at Oberwart Clinic. When asked, Gesundheit Burgenland reports that the waiting areas are currently full, with an increase in patients particularly noticeable at Oberwart Clinic. A fact that not only affects the autumn vacations, but was also noticeable during other vacation periods. Many patients would visit the outpatient clinics who would actually be cases for the general practitioner. The only doctor on duty, however, says: "I try to overfill my care remit and don't turn any patients away. Everything else is a matter for the Medical Association and the regional health insurance fund."

A substitution regulation is not only in the interest of the doctors, but also of the patients.

Thomas Bauer, Direktor der Ärztekammer

Medical Association calls for better coordination 
The Medical Association is aware of this. However, there is no legal regulation on representation for general practitioners in private practice. This only applies to specialists, who are obliged to coordinate their replacement in the event of absence, according to Chamber Director Thomas Bauer. However, in view of the upcoming Christmas vacations, the Medical Association is trying to appeal to general practitioners in order to avoid any future supply bottlenecks due to simultaneous absences. "This is not only in the doctors' own interests, but also extremely important for patients," emphasizes Bauer.