How hard is it to find a Doctor?

Family, Education, Health and Pets
1
At this point we don't know yet where we will be located when we arrive, probably Oberaargau, but since my dh has multiple health issues/prescriptions we will need to find a Dr very soon after we get there.

Here in Canada we have finally found a GP to take us on after waiting for 4 years! (But this is not a rant about the Canadian health system, which actually is usually quite good, considering it is free)

Are Doctors easy to find in Switzerland? If we choose HMO or GP based insurance, is it easy to find someone reasonably local to take us on (my hubby will need to find someone that speaks English)?

I have found the threads that list the different Drs, but will they usually have openings or will we be calling around for months like in Canada?

2
I haven't had problems getting appointments with doctors, but I don't have the English speaking constraint. It might be worth trying to contact some in the area where you think you will be living in order to find out if you can get an appointment for your husband soon after you arrive. A general or non-emergency type appointment might take a little more time to get in the schedule

3
I have multiple health problems too, and found primary care docs in the town where i lived. A group practice often has more choice. I found my first doc in the phone book, he was great. After we moved, there was a practice within walking distance and i got one of the docs in the practice. In both cases, no more than a week wait. Personally, i'd go with GP, rather than HMO, if you need specialists as well, i think it provides better choice of specialists We have telmed, which works out fine for us. You have to call in appointments,but so far, there is no restriction of doctor choice. Virtually every doctor i've seen here speaks quite good english.

4
Much will depend on where you live.

For the other side of the coin... I live in the (more or less) boondocks. It took me two years to find a GP, and then I only got on the books because a new practice was opening. All the other practices in the area were closed to new patients. The practice I finally got into is run by a doctor who only works part time - so there can be a long wait for an appointment.

From what others have posted, though, this is not the case many other places - especially not in city centers. In canton ZH, for instance, you will likely have plenty of choice.

If your husband has a complicated medical history it is likely that a GP will refer him on to a specialist anyway.

If accessibility of medical care is an issue, plan on living in a larger town or in the city.

Good luck!

(FYI: Only one of the doctors I have seen here does consulatations in English. The others - GP, a couple of specialists - stick to German. If I am stuck for a word or unable to describe something coherently I'll ask if I can switch to English - which is clearly understood. But the conversation goes straight back to German. That we are in the boonies is probably is a factor. But come to think of it, the endocrinologist I used to see in ZH also consulted in German only. But as reported in lots of posts on similar subjects, there do seem to be plenty of English speaking doctors - you'll just need to make this a priority.)

5
Thanks to both of you, sounds similar to Canada then. In bigger cities it isn't as hard to find care here either.

We really would prefer to live a bit rural, but I guess we'll have to see. We don't mind driving 45min to see a Dr if necessary.

6
I always ask my doctors if they are comfortable speaking in English. For health related stuff, i feel it has to be English for me.

I think as Meloncollie described, living out of the larger population centers is hit or miss. But if you're prepared to drive, shouldn't be a problem. We moved from Bern to winterthur last year, and i kept my oncologist and gyn in bern because i liked them. It's an easy train ride. For emergencies, etc, my gp is in Winti.

7
depending where you mean by Oberaargau, I can recommend doctors in Baden and Bad Zurzach who are English speaking. My husband also has ongoing medical stuff, and we've had no problems getting treatment / prescriptions etc.

8
Dr. Who?

Tom

9
Thanks! Once we know where we will be exactly, I'll get in touch.

10
Pretty much all doctors here (Canton Zurich) speak English, getting them to speak it is another matter. Given what your asking is like how long is a piece of string?, you don't know where you will live but are searching doctors? But if you can narrow it down a bit, then use www.doktor.ch just enter a postcode and hey presto a list of doctors pops up. According to my Swiss wife it is accepted here to make an appointment (cost free) to interview the doctor before agreeing to join their practice. They are a business as well so when we last searched all but 1 actually phoned back (unheard of in Australia) to assess our needs and the "fit" into their practice ie your needs vs their available time and specialities.

Other points to consider:

How many doctors work in the practise? 2-3 is best, otherwise you end up in a place that is too busy or end up at a different practise when they are on holidays.

Parking or close to a train station.

Ask how big their range of medicines they carry - one of our doctors carries a good range so it saves a trip to the chemist and all goes straight to insurance, we have also called her for some things and picked them up from her letterbox!!

www.comparis.ch is a good starting point to compare health insurance.

There is a wealth of information on here and other swiss expat blog sites explaining health insurance and franchise or the "excess" fees before insurance starts to pay.

Doctors everwhere are a bit aloof and authoritarian, here they take it to another level!! but don't think for a minute that they are not caring and concerned. Our kids doctor is a classic example, great with the kids hates having to explain anything to us or answer our question but many times we have left with information he has reasearched for us knowing my son's problems without being asked e.g. your son is on these 3 medications the latest reaseach shows they are cancelling each other out or causing xyz, have you noticed these symptoms?

Keep looking until you find your perfect match.

The Swiss do not give help or information unless they are asked, if one does not have the speciality you are looking for, ask if they can reccomend someone else.

If you are not on private insurance find out if they (and the specialists they work with) operate out of public hospitals.

11
Thanks RTN, that was a lot of helpful information. My question was mainly how difficult it would be to find a GP that accepts new patients, because that will help determine where we move to. Here in Canada NO Dr's accept new patients and you have to make do with walk-in clinics and emergency rooms. Sometimes for years before you get to the top of long waiting lists, plus, you cannot just go see a specialist you need a referral for every single one.

My hubby is having a lot of difficulties with allergies and digestive issues and needs a GP that pulls the info from different specialists together. If he will have to wait a long time to see a Dr when we get to Switzerland we'd have to make sure to bring many months worth of prescription medication.

It sounds though as that will not be the case, so that is excellent news.

12
if he has already been tested for allergies, make sure to bring the reports with you. That'll help move the process along.

If he has not been tested, the GP will be able to refer him....the waiting list is, ooh, days long (sorry, I'm British and still constantly surprised at the efficiency of the Swiss health system)

13
You really will not have too much trouble seeing a doctor here, a week or so is the worst case scenario. So do not let that influence your decision too much where you decide to live. Deciding to live somewhere and finding an apartment or house there are two entirely different things. Better to concentrate on commuting times to work, schools, shops and train station ect. Depending on your family situation you can easily get by without a car here with trains and buses. Use www.sbb.ch to check public transport.

14
That is great news. Hubby just got an appointment with the Allergist here...for August, there is only one Allergist for a town of 75,000. This is where I was coming from. We are hoping to be in Switzerland by then, but if he is lucky he'll get in earlier due to a cancellation. A week wait over there???? Omg, lol! I was worried for nothing...

We don't know where we will be, because I haven't secured a job yet, if I find one from here that will determine where we'll move, if I don't find one from here, we'll be living with my parents near Langenthal to start with, which is pretty central to everywhere.

15
I have a similar question! According to our experience, the endocrinologists in Switzerland are ONLY specialized in what brings more money: diabetes and thyroid. Does anyone know a good endocrinologist idealy with good experience in treating adrenal fatigue?

Any help is very much appreciated!

16
I would also add that there is a big difference between generalists and specialist doctors. In most places you can find a general GP in a short time, but to get an appointment at a specialist can easily take half a year. In particular, in my experience--allergist, dermatologist, and neurogist are some of the more difficult ones to get an appointment.

17
In my experience, the good doctors take a while to get an appointment with.

I had to find a doctor in Winterthur to take something as simple as iron deficiency seriously.

I also need to travel to Winterthur for a dental scan after a failed endodontic treatment.

I think there are tons of terrible doctors here, but the good ones are all booked up.