Dorca warns bureaucracy is putting Andorra’s healthcare workforce renewal at risk

The president of the Official Medical Association of Andorra (COMA), Albert Dorca, has warned of the difficulties Andorra could face in ensuring the generational replacement of family doctors. 

Growing bureaucracy within the profession is making the speciality less attractive to younger doctors, a trend that is also affecting other European countries.

According to statements by Dorca reported by the Andorran News Agency (ANA), it is becoming increasingly difficult to persuade doctors choosing their speciality to opt for family medicine, which requires four years of specialist training through the MIR system.

“Young doctors who have to choose a training position are increasingly turning away from family medicine because they do not want to become bureaucrats within the healthcare system,” the COMA president warned.

The situation is particularly concerning because a significant number of current professionals are approaching retirement age. Dorca says the combination of a shortage of doctors and the declining appeal of family medicine could make replacing them increasingly difficult in the coming years.

Andorra retains advantages over Spain

Despite his warning, Dorca believes Andorra is currently in a better position than Spain when it comes to practising family medicine.

The COMA president argues that doctors in Spain have increasingly been required to handle administrative procedures, certificates and paperwork, leaving them with less time to focus on their actual medical work.

“In Spain, they are turning them into bureaucrats. They have to deal with a thousand forms, a thousand certificates, a thousand clicks and a thousand other things,” Dorca said, arguing that this administrative burden ultimately leads to significant professional burnout.

Andorra is also experiencing a certain degree of bureaucratisation, but Dorca argues that family doctors in the Principality still retain greater autonomy and more capacity to focus on patient care.

“Here in Andorra, we still have family doctors who, although they are becoming slightly more burdened by bureaucracy, compared with Spain still spend more of their time actually practising medicine,” he explained.

According to the president of the Medical Association, this difference means the Principality remains a relatively attractive destination for healthcare professionals.

“When it comes to family medicine as a speciality, I think we are still attractive,” Dorca said.

Concerns over how Andorra will replace retiring doctors

The main question, however, is who will replace the doctors who are approaching retirement. Dorca acknowledges that this is not a problem affecting Andorra alone, but one facing much of Europe.

“We are not sure how we are going to replace those who are about to retire,” he warned.

One of the key challenges will be ensuring that new doctors are willing to move to and practise in Andorra. The COMA president believes there is demand for healthcare professionals, but conditions need to be competitive enough for doctors to choose Andorra over other destinations.

When it comes to salaries, Dorca acknowledges that Andorra does not have such a clear advantage over Spain.

“In terms of salaries, we are more or less on a par, but when it comes to actually practising the profession, we are slightly better off than Spain,” he said.

The Official Medical Association of Andorra is working with the Ministry to improve these conditions. Dorca considers it essential to preserve professional autonomy and prevent an excessive increase in administrative responsibilities if Andorra wants to continue attracting family doctors and guarantee the generational renewal of its healthcare system.