Germany's Medical Licensing Loophole: 30+ Doctors with Revoked Licenses Continue Practicing
A loophole in Germany's medical licensing system allows doctors with revoked licenses from other countries to continue practicing in the country. Despite a European warning system, over 30 such doctors are currently working in Germany. Germany's state medical boards (Landesärztekammern) are responsible for licensing foreign-trained doctors. They check if the doctor's license has been revoked abroad, but only if the foreign authority notifies them. This process relies on the European Internal Market Information System (IMI), which has been in place for about 12 years. However, the system's effectiveness is limited, as not all countries participate fully. Each year, around 100 doctors lose their licenses in Norway, Switzerland, and the UK alone, with several hundred across Europe. Reasons for revocation include serious medical errors or convictions for sexual abuse. Despite this, from 2020 to 2024, only 0.03% of Germany's over 400,000 practicing doctors had their licenses revoked due to warnings from abroad. The German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer) has called for improvements to the IMI system. They propose mandatory notifications from all European countries to prevent flagged doctors from working in Germany. Currently, practicing medicine without a license in Germany is illegal, and the licensing process aims to ensure doctors' qualifications. However, the presence of over 30 doctors with revoked licenses from other countries highlights the need for better coordination and stricter enforcement.
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