Popular family doctor Dr. Arens returns to the hospital after retirement!

Popular family doctor Dr. Arens returns to the hospital after retirement!

Dr. Elmar Arens, an esteemed family doctor from Warburg, did not let his professional career end in retirement like so many of his colleagues. The 66-year-old, who practiced in North Rhine-Westphalia for over 30 years, has decided to bring his expertise to the Loretto Hospital in Freiburg. Why the step back into working life? The idea came from his neighbor, the hospital's medical director, who encouraged Arens to use his years of experience as part of the solution to the acute health care workforce shortage.

During the numerous years in Warburg, especially during the Corona period, Dr. Arens participated intensively in the vaccination campaign and, together with his colleague Dr. Alexander Hoffmann organized various large-scale campaigns to carry out vaccinations. He describes this phase as exciting and busy, a reflection of his dedication to primary health care.

His new job in Freiburg, where he holds a 40 percent position, allows him to work flexibly. Although his official working hours are set at four hours a day, he often stays longer in order to continue to support patients who need his advice. Arens primarily takes care of routine internal medicine work that often gets lost between operations and rounds. Residents often ask for his help, which demonstrates his recognized role in the hospital. The patients in particular appreciate the time he takes for them, while clinic director Frank Hassel sees Arens' commitment as a stroke of luck for everyone involved.

The challenges in healthcare

The return of Dr. Arens is not just a personal decision, but is also in the context of a larger problem in the German healthcare system. Germany is faced with a growing shortage of general practitioners. Forecasts by the Robert Bosch Foundation show that one in two family doctors will retire in the next ten years, which could lead to around 11,000 unfilled positions. What is particularly alarming is that a quarter of practicing GPs plan to leave the profession within the next five years, according to a survey.

There is currently a shortage of more than 5,000 general practitioners nationwide. The number of individual general practitioner practices has fallen by around 5,000 since 2015, while group practices have also fallen to around 1,000 fewer. This development leads to a noticeable undersupply, especially in rural areas. The pressure on medical care is also felt in cities. The causes are diverse: demographic changes, high levels of bureaucracy and increasing work pressure make it difficult for young doctors to decide to become self-employed.

In addition, doctors spend around 80 percent of their time on consultations and home visits, while only the rest is left for administrative tasks and training. Because of this imbalance, more and more doctors are choosing to work part-time or go to clinics.

A glimmer of hope

Dr. Arens finds his return to work enriching and has found an ideal balance between part-time work and free time. With his role in the hospital and his commitment to combating the ongoing nursing shortage, he not only acts as a constant in his own team, but also as his valuable contact for the coming challenges of primary medical care in Germany.

His example could inspire other doctors to also look creatively for solutions to meet the growing challenges of primary care. Because it is clear: There is a lot to be done to improve medical care for all citizens.

For further information on the topic and the situation in the healthcare system in Germany, we refer to Deutschlandfunk and Tagesschau.

The fate of many family doctors, like that of Dr. Arens, will continue to shape change in healthcare. It remains exciting to see how the situation will develop and what measures will be taken to address the impending shortage of skilled workers.