Switzerland GP shortage deepens, Italy's border medical bonus stalled

Switzerland is heading toward a shortage of general practitioners, according to the Swiss Doctors' Federation (FMH). One quarter of the medical workforce is over 60, and a third of GP practices no longer accept new patients. Doctors now see patients for as little as 15 minutes, far below the 30 minutes many aim to provide. Each year about 1,300 Swiss medical students graduate, while 3,200‑4,000 foreign medical diplomas are recognized, most of them from abroad, leaving the primary‑care pipeline insufficient.

In response, Italy planned a salary bonus for health workers in Lombardy’s border regions with Switzerland, offering €5,400 annually to nurses and €10,000 to hospital doctors. The scheme would benefit roughly 1,350 nurses and 700 doctors in the Como area, costing around €7.3 million per year, plus additional funds for other bordering districts. Funding difficulties—particularly the controversial health tax on former cross‑border workers—have delayed the rollout, and the bonus may be abandoned pending negotiations between Italy, the Swiss Confederation, Lombardy and the canton of Ticino.