The professional association of pediatricians has strongly criticized the coalition’s plan to eliminate the ability to issue sick leave for children via telephone. According to Jakob Maske, the association’s federal spokesperson, this change would disproportionately affect children. Maske argued that instead of being allowed to rest at home when running a fever, a child would be forced to go to crowded waiting rooms, potentially in a poor state of health. “This is medically unsound and places an enormous burden on families,” Maske stated, labeling the measure a massive step backward in health policy.
Since December 2023, parents have been able to obtain telephone sick notes for their children, which Maske described as “an incredible relief for everyone involved.” Many members of the association used this service because pediatricians are capable of assessing over the phone whether a child with an infection needs to stay home or if a child with a mild rash can safely attend kindergarten.
Maske also cautioned that the plans put forward by the Union and SPD could severely strain pediatric practices, which are already under chronic pressure. Instead of abolishing the telephone sick leave, the federal spokesperson suggested that a digital substitute for pediatric sick leave should be implemented instead.
