Partly Long Wait for a Specialist Appointment - Patients in Two German States Face Months-Long Waits for Specialists
A new survey reveals long waits for specialist appointments in two German states. In 2025, over half of respondents in Sachsen-Anhalt and Niedersachsen faced delays of more than four weeks. The findings highlight ongoing challenges in accessing timely medical care.
The data shows stark differences between family doctor and specialist visits. In Sachsen-Anhalt, 74% of people secured a family doctor appointment within days. Yet only 10% managed to see a specialist as quickly.
For specialist care, 57% of respondents in both Sachsen-Anhalt and Niedersachsen waited over four weeks. The situation was worse for a significant minority: 33% in Sachsen-Anhalt and 38% in Niedersachsen endured waits of several months. No comparable figures exist for other federal states.
In response, health insurer TK is calling for systemic improvements. Their proposals include a more patient-centred approach, with clearer points of contact and structured treatment pathways.
The survey underscores persistent delays in specialist healthcare for these regions. TK's push for efficiency aims to streamline access and reduce waiting times. No immediate changes have been announced, but the data may prompt further discussions on healthcare reform.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
