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Berlin The Association of General Practitioners has criticized the advocacy of Federal Finance Minister Christian Lindner (FDP) for an end to telephone sick notes. The statements cannot be understood, said Chairman Markus Beier.

The introduction of the regulation was an absolutely correct and sensible decision from a medical and health care policy perspective. Allegations that people are making things easier for themselves cannot be confirmed from day-to-day work.

Lindner said yesterday at an event in Berlin: In the future, people will have to go to the doctor again to report sick and will not be able to do it simply over the phone.

He did not want to accuse anyone of exploiting the regulation. However, there was unfortunately a correlation between the annual sick leave rate in Germany and the introduction of the measure, which was intended as a good way to reduce bureaucracy.

Beier, on the other hand, warned of the threat to a regulation that relieves the burden on our practices and our patients, especially in the months of extreme infections, and is one of the few political measures that is currently really reducing bureaucracy.

It is known that the increased number of sick notes can be attributed to a large extent to the electronic transmission of certificates of incapacity to work. This means that sick notes are now recorded that would never have reached the health insurance companies before.

The option of obtaining a sick note by telephone was introduced during the coronavirus pandemic. In December 2023, the Federal Joint Committee decided on a permanent regulation.

Patients can then be given a sick note over the phone if they are known to the practice and do not have severe symptoms. As part of its economic growth initiative, the federal government has agreed to review the measure due to the increased level of sick leave. © dpa/aerzteblatt.de