Overview

• More than 5,000 general practitioner positions remain unfilled today and the deficit could double within five years if current trends continue.
• Practitioners cite extensive paperwork and demanding caseloads as the primary reasons behind their intention to leave or reduce hours.
• Survey respondents report 44-hour workweeks—ten hours above the national average—with roughly 80% of that time dedicated to patient consultations and home visits.
• The Bertelsmann-Stiftung and Universität Marburg recommend strengthening practice digitalisation for tasks like appointment scheduling, diagnostics and data exchange to relieve administrative burdens.
• Policymakers are weighing a primary care gatekeeping system, financial incentives and the delegation of duties to trained non-physician staff, though critics warn some measures may limit patient access.