In 2024, 338 doctors over the age of 80 were practicing in Switzerland.
Keystone / Christian Beutler
Generated with artificial intelligence.
A Swiss federal court has ruled that a canton cannot set a maximum age for issuing a medical license. The Neuchâtel law, which sets a limit of 80 years, is not in compliance with federal law.
The applicant, a doctor born in August 1944, had obtained the renewal of his authorisation to practice in April 2023. However, the canton of Neuchâtel, in application of its regulations, had limited its validity to the end of August 2024, when the person concerned would have reached the age of 80.
According to the Federal Court, this general limit is not consistent with the University Medical Professions Act (LPMéd). This text comprehensively regulates the conditions for granting a practice permit, and the cantons have only very limited room for maneuver to impose other provisions.
Unique case
Setting an age limit goes well beyond this latitude. The Second Court of Public Law also notes that Neuchâtel appears to be the only canton to provide for an absolute age limit. The Federal Court’s decision will set a precedent.
For the lawyer of the octogenarian doctor who brought the case to court, the victory is shared with the patients. “We’re talking about a renowned, highly regarded, and highly competent doctor, who has more than 1,500 patients, some of whom have mobilised to provide him with written statements about his qualities and skills,” lawyer Alexandre Zen-Ruffinen told Swiss public television RTS.
Temporary authorizations possible
The judges specified that it is permissible for cantons to issue temporary permits in order to regularly verify whether the conditions for granting them are still met. They may also require the person concerned to undergo an expert assessment.
For the Swiss Medical Association, there are sufficient measures in place to ensure the proper practice of older doctors. “Word gets around that we end up knowing if a doctor could potentially cause problems, and they are generally approached by their peers, their cantonal association, and possibly the authorities. And there are few conflict situations,” Philippe Eggimann, vice-president of the Association, told RTS.
In 2024, 338 doctors over the age of 80 were practicing in Switzerland.
Translated from French by DeepL/jdp
We select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools to translate them into English. A journalist then reviews the translation for clarity and accuracy before publication.
Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. The news stories we select have been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team from news agencies such as Bloomberg or Keystone.
If you have any questions about how we work, write to us at english@swissinfo.ch
More
Swiss president visits region affected by glacier collapse
This content was published on
Swiss President Karin Keller-Sutter spoke with communities affected by the Birch glacier collapse, which buried the village of Blatten.
The Swiss economy saw the clouds that had gathered over its prospects lift somewhat in May. However, the KOF economic barometer is still below its long-term average.
Franco-Swiss raclette war set to be settled on Sunday
This content was published on
The battle for the world’s largest raclette will be transformed on Sunday in Saint-Gingolph, canton Valais, into a raclette of friendship served at the border.
