A personal doctor for every citizen, free visits to a pediatrician and strong financial incentives for young doctors, are the main pillars of the personal doctor bill that was put to public consultation.

The draft law “Reformation of the institution of the Personal Physician – Establishment of University Health Centers and other provisions” seeks to improve the health of the population with an emphasis on prevention, health care for all and the reduction of inequalities.

As defined, every citizen will now be able to register for free with a doctor in the area where he lives and resides, as the number of those who have the possibility to become Personal Doctors is increasing significantly.

For the first time, financial incentives are given to young doctors. In particular, every doctor who chooses in the year 2025 to train in the specialties of either General/Family Medicine or Internal Pathology will receive a lump sum of 40,000 euros in terms of gross earnings.

At the same time, focusing on the effort to reduce inequalities in access to health, the Personal Pediatrician is instituted. In the first phase, around 530,000 children will have free access for the first time.

In addition, 7 University Health Centers are established, one in each Medical School/Department of the country, in which faculty members will serve. In these, Telemedicine Stations will operate, while within the framework of the Telemedicine Network there will be 3,500 home care points throughout the country. Thus, wherever in the country they live, patients will be able to have care at home with 24-hour uninterrupted medical monitoring.

The draft law will remain in public consultation until October 8 at 21:50.

In more detail, the seven main changes introduced by the draft law:

More Personal Practitioners: The categories of Personal Practitioners are increasing, as all field service doctors and doctors wishing to specialize in General/Family Medicine during their training are now being added. It is noted that all Personal Physicians of each category will be trained so that they can perform their role more effectively, especially in relation to prevention.

Financial incentives for new doctors: For the first time, 40,000 euros are given as a lump sum in terms of gross earnings to those doctors who choose in the year 2025 to train in the specialties of General/Family Medicine and Internal Pathology.

Automatic registration: Those citizens who do not register with a Personal Doctor of their choice by 01.06.2025, will be automatically registered by the system with a Personal Doctor. It is noted that the registration will be done at the level of Municipality or Neighboring Municipalities so that the citizen has access to a doctor close to where he lives, reducing access barriers.

Establishment of a system of performance indicators for personal physicians: An effective system of performance indicators for personal physicians is established, based on objective data, such as the participation of the registered population in prevention actions, etc.

Personal Pediatrician for children: The first phase of free access for 530,000 children aged 0-16 years to a Personal Pediatrician begins. The Ministry of Health seeks to increase the number of available pediatricians by 100 to cover over half a million children in the first phase and in a later phase to increase the coverage rate of the child population.

7 University Health Centers: University Health Centers are established, one in each Medical School/Department of the country. Faculty members will serve in the University Health Centers (5 in each Health Center for Attica and Thessaloniki and 4 for the other regions), focusing on the provision of Prevention and Health Promotion services to citizens, the training of P.F.Y. doctors, research, the development of programs aimed at promoting community health and the provision of telemedicine services.

Telemedicine Stations and 3,500 home care points across the country: Telemedicine Stations are being introduced in University Health Centers with the aim that faculty members who will undertake the work of Emergency Medicine can examine citizens living in remote areas and advise their colleagues appropriately in order to deal with emergencies in a timely and efficient manner and to reduce unnecessary transfers. In addition, the Telemedicine Network includes 3,500 home nursing locations across the country, so patients can have home care with 24-hour uninterrupted medical monitoring wherever they live in the country.

The Personal Doctor is a free provision for all citizens who obtain a personal health advisor for matters of health education, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and guidance in serious health problems. It is the citizen’s first contact with the health system. He is responsible for prevention, examination, updating of the individual electronic health record, prescription of medicines and referral for tests to specialist doctors.

THE Minister of Health Adonis Georgiadis stated:

Strengthening primary health care is at the heart of our reform work. With our new bill that was put up for public consultation today, we strengthen the part of prevention and preventive medicine in our country, through the institution of a Personal Doctor for all citizens, while at the same time we extend the measure to pediatricians with the aim of covering free visits for 530,000 children aged 0-16. In addition, from 1/1/2025 with the aim of including more pathologists in the system than those already existing, we will provide doctors who choose Pathology or General Medicine as a specialty, a one-time financial incentive of 40,000 euros, in addition to their salary. But apart from the Personal Doctor measure, the new bill introduces a very innovative idea that I believe will completely change the healthcare map. We intend to establish seven (7) University Health Centers, which will operate as Telemedicine Stations with the aim of effectively monitoring and dealing with medical incidents for the residents of islands and remote areas. Next summer, on all the islands of Greece, citizens will have the option, wherever they are, to access Teleconsultation from their mobile phones. This for me is a revolution in the field of Health that will provide a solution to the eternal problem of access to Primary Health Care, patients located in remote areas such as our islands and at the same time will lead to the saving of thousands of lives of our fellow human beings.

OR Deputy Minister of Health Irini Agapidakis stated:

Every citizen must have access to health care without discrimination, which is a priority for Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis. At the Ministry of Health, we are constantly working in this direction. With this particular bill, we want the system to work more fairly and more efficiently. Every citizen should have their Personal Doctor who will guide them and play an important role in the care and prevention of their health. For the first time, we are incentivizing young doctors to choose a specialty that will lead them to become Personal Doctors, while ensuring that 530,000 children have a Personal Paediatrician, free of charge. At the same time, the establishment of University Health Centers and the introduction of telemedicine are an important first step in strengthening Primary Health Care, seeking to reach medical care to every citizen, even if he lives in the most remote corner of our country. We continue steadily and effectively with the National Prevent Program with free preventive examinations and changes in Primary Health Care, to strengthen the health of the population to avoid disease, gain more years of healthy life and reduce health inequalities. Our commitment to social justice is realized through tangible results.