First nationwide "Day of Family Medicine" on Wednesday

Tomorrow, Wednesday 8 May, the 18 regional associations of GPs have proclaimed the first nationwide Day of Family Medicine. From now on, this day will be celebrated every second Wednesday in May.

"On this day of action, we as GPs want to draw attention to the challenges we face in order to provide good GP care for our patients", says Dr Christian Goebel, spokesperson for the Bohris doctors' network.

There are currently 32 GPs in private practice in Bocholt - there are around 55,000 in Germany as a whole, making GPs and internists the largest specialist group within the medical profession, according to the Westphalia-Lippe GP Association. "The pandemic has shown that family medicine is the backbone of healthcare", the association reports.

The individual regional associations are organising numerous events and campaigns for patients, politicians and the GP practice teams themselves to mark this year's GP Medicine Day on 8 May in order to highlight the special importance of GP care for people's health.

Bocholt's mayor Thomas Kerkhoff visited the group practice on Ostwall, where Dr Christian Goebel works, to mark the day of action. "General practitioners fulfil an invaluable task within urban society, which is another reason why we as an administration are involved in the BOHRIS doctors' network", said Kerkhoff.

According to the funding directory of the Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians, the city of Bocholt is also in "threatening undersupply", and the situation is unlikely to improve in the coming years due to the age structure within the medical profession. "We will therefore do everything we can, together with the doctors' network, to utilise funding opportunities and convince young doctors to set up a practice in Bocholt", says Kerkhoff.

Focus on GP-centred care at day of action

One focus of the first GP Medicine Day will be on the so-called GP programme or GP-centred care (HZV), according to the GP association. GP-centred care offers the opportunity to make your own GP the first point of contact for all health issues. "Participation in HZV means that all the threads come together at the GP, who coordinates the entire treatment", explains Lars Rettstadt from the GP Association.

GP-centred care enables GPs to achieve an improved remuneration structure through the provision of additional services and the prospect of a higher basic flat rate. The aim is also to strengthen the relationship between patients and GPs. The majority of all GP practices work with this model.

All information on the Day of General Practice Medicine and the activities of the individual regional associations of the General Practitioners' Association can be found on the website www.tag-der-hausarztmedizin.de