Six out of ten French-speaking general practitioners (61%) no longer take on new patients, according to an online survey of 366 doctors taken by the weekly Medi-Sphere, reports RTBF.
In the Brussels-Capital Region, 51% of GPs refuse new patients, a figure comparable to that of Flanders, while in Wallonia 57% have decided to stick to their current patient base.
Nearly six out of ten (57%) GPs aged 36 to 45 that are currently working in the capital have refused to accept new patients.
Reasons cited included age and proximity to retirement, as well as the administrative burden, the quality of life, and even the level of requirement of the patients and abuse from patients.
In the south of the country, 70% of female respondents said that they refused to increase their activity, compared to 46% of men.
In Brussels, 53% of women and 49% of men refused to take on newcomers, according to the survey. In Wallonia, medical centres and group practice had the highest amounts of refusals at 78% and 73% respectively.
