Concern at Swiss dependence on older and foreign doctors

The average age of doctors is rising, warns the Swiss Medical Association, and so is dependence on foreign doctors. Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

One in four doctors practising in Switzerland is aged 60 or over, and almost four out of ten come from abroad, says the Swiss Medical Association (FMH).

“Measures to counter the shortage of doctors are becoming urgent,” the FMH warned in its latest bulletin, published on Wednesday. Statistics for 2021 show a continuing trend towards an ageing medical profession and an increase in the number of doctors with foreign qualifications.  

Of the 39,222 doctors practising in Switzerland last year (up 1.9% on the previous year), half were aged 50 or over and a quarter were aged 60 or over, writes the FMH. The average age of the outpatient medical profession was 55, compared with 52 in 2005.

The number of women in the profession has also continued to increase, rising by almost 700 last year. They now represent nearly 45% of doctors in Switzerland.

The majority of doctors of foreign origin come from Germany (52%), followed by Italy (9.2%), France (7.2%) and Austria (6%). The FMH expects dependence on foreign countries to continue increasing.

Whether Switzerland will have enough doctors to provide adequate care for patients in the future depends on future political decisions, the organisation warns.

“The quality and performance of the Swiss health system also depend on the conditions under which doctors can practise their profession in Switzerland,” it concluded.