Health Care in Germany

Health Care in Germany:

This is from a British source, The Institute for the Study of Civil Society

First, Germans are free to visit any doctor they like. They may either walk in off the street, or ring for an appointment that will invariably be booked for the same morning or afternoon. Consumers can and do penalise bad service. Our recent study of German consumers commonly produced reactions like this: 'I saw a long queue, so hopped on the tube and went to a different practice'; 'she was rather ill-tempered so I never went back'; 'the facilities were drab, so I went to a different one next to my office'; 'I felt rushed at his practice so didn't go back'.

Second, Germans do not have to see a GP before visiting a private specialist. GPs do act as gatekeepers to German hospitals, but about half of all specialists practice outside the hospitals. German hospitals provide few out-patient services. Instead, there are a large number of independent clinics, invariably with the most sophisticated diagnostic equipment. Most Germans have a favourite GP, although many maintain a relationship with more than one - just in case - but if they need to see a specialist they would not waste time seeing a GP first.

Third, there are plenty of specialists. Germany has 2.3 practising specialists for every 1,000 people, compared with only 1.5 in the UK.

What problems are there in Germany? The German media is not excited by the subject. There are no patients lying on trolleys in A&E. Germany suffers no real rationing. Yes, problems occur from time to time. Just at the moment, there is a shortage of nurses, and many Germans feel that care is expensive, but serious complaints are few. Nevertheless, reform is in the air. Since January 2004 members of the statutory insurance plan have had to pay 10 euros per quarter to see a GP.

The reforms also saw the introduction of charges for non-prescription drugs, and an end to free treatments such as health farm visits and to free taxi rides to hospital. This is expected to allow for a reduction in premiums from an average of 14 to 13 per cent of annual gross wages.

German satisfaction rates in 1996, the latest Eurobarometer survey, showed that the German are far more satisfied with their system than we are with the NHS. About 11 per cent of Germans said they were 'very or fairly dissatisfied', compared with 41% per cent here. And when asked whether their system needed 'fundamental
changes' or a 'complete rebuild' 19 per cent of Germans said 'yes', compared with 56 per cent of Britons.

Does the German healthcare system deliver an acceptable standard of care for serious illness to all members of society? Do the poorest in society benefit from a higher standard of healthcare provision than those in the UK? The answer to both of these questions is an emphatic, 'yes'.

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