A new law abolishing the compulsory retirement age of 68 for GPs and specialists in primary care in Germany came into effect at the beginning of this month. The new law has been introduced because of a shortage of doctors in rural areas and small towns, especially in east Germany.

The German Medical Association (Bundesärztekammer), which has long advocated an end to the age limit, which was brought in in 1993, welcomed the law. “The age restriction was out of date. It does not make sense to stop doctors treating their patients if their patients …