PRIMARY care doctors have been given the option to claim 75% of their State pension along with 100% of their salary to continue working beyond retirement age in a bid to address the shortage in Spain's health centres.
With more general practitioners (GPs) or family doctors at local surgeries retiring than newly-qualified medics entering the profession, Spain's government has become concerned about a growing impact on State healthcare.
Meanwhile, GPs themselves, and paediatricians, have been calling for incentives to make it worth their while prolonging their working life.
A pilot scheme launched by the ministry for inclusion, Social Security and migrations – led by José Luis Escrivá – allows GPs and paediatricians to effectively work for 175% of their wages if they continue to do so beyond age 65.
So far, seven in 10 family doctors aged 65 or over have taken up the offer, or a total of 313, reveals Escrivá's department.
Explaining how the scheme proves to be a 'win-win situation' for all concerned, Escrivá says medics who would otherwise stop work are continuing to pay their Social Security (national insurance) contributions, helping to fund State pensions, whilst also saving the State 25% of what they would be earning if they had decided not to continue – and getting nearly double their money for doing the same job as when they were 64.
'Ageing' profession
According to a recent ministry report covering supply and demand for public healthcare facilities over the period from 2021 to 2035, GPs, or primary care doctors, are one of the most 'threatened species' in the profession.
They are the second-oldest specialists in the medical industry, with a third of them aged over 60 and more than six in 10 being aged between 50 and 65.
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