The shortage of general practitioners in Switzerland is getting worse
Express newspaper
02/10/2025 23:35
The shortage of general practitioners in Switzerland is becoming increasingly worrisome, according to a study published on Thursday. By 2035, several hundred doctors will need to be replaced, while 75% of doctors already report a shortage in their region.
A study conducted by the University of Basel, which included 1,776 medical practices in Switzerland, highlighted five main problems, the Swiss Association of Family Physicians and Pediatricians (Mfe) announced. According to the report, family doctors are getting older, their working hours are decreasing and the time spent with patients is increasingly limited. The need for replacements is great and the shortage is already widespread.
Elderly and overworked doctors
The average age of general practitioners in Switzerland is currently 52, and 13% of them continue to work after retirement age. Furthermore, the heavy administrative workload leaves less time for patients and makes the profession less attractive to young people.
For this reason, Mfe calls for more systematic recruitment of the younger generation, through more attractive work models, reduced bureaucracy and greater use of digitalization. Artificial intelligence, for example, can help reduce the administrative burden.
A dramatic reality
The association emphasizes that the situation is dramatic: general practitioners treat 94% of all health problems, while representing only 8% of total health costs. Without family medicine, costs would continue to rise and hospitals would be put under even greater pressure, albinfo.ch reports.
The study was conducted between January and May 2025 in all cantons. It is a study repeated every five years since 2000, and since 2020 pediatricians have also been included.