Sick note by phone could become permanent policy in Germany

Health Minister Karl Lauterbach has announced plans to reintroduce a system whereby workers can get a sick note via a call with their doctor, a policy initially adopted during the coronavirus pandemic.

Lauterbach pushes for phone sick notes as permanent policy

As coronavirus was spreading across Germany, the federal government adopted a policy that allowed workers to get a note for sick leave from their doctor after a telephone consultation, as opposed to having to visit their doctor's practice in person. This rule expired in March, but now Federal Health Minister Karl Lauterbach would like the adopt the policy permanently.

Lauterbach is currently working on a draft law which would see the policy apply in an even more general way than it was during the pandemic, during which patients could only get a sick note via phone if their cause for complaint was a respiratory problem. However, with the new law, Lauterbach hopes that patients would be able to get a telephone sick note for any ailment.

Patient must be known to the practice

If the draft law passes there will likely be some limitations as to which patients can be issued a sick note via phone. For example, it may be the case that only people who are already registered at a doctor’s practice can get a sick note via phone, rather than having to make an in-person visit.

Lauterbach hopes that the new law will reduce waiting times at local doctors' offices, many of which have queues of people requesting a note for a few days off to recover from a simple cold. The SPD politician hopes that the new law will pass in time for the cold season this autumn.

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