Lawsuits against contractual penalties of 250,000 euros for violations of the obligation to work in underserved regions.
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North Rhine-Westphalia was the first of ten federal states to introduce the rural doctor quota in 2019 in order to counteract the shortage of general practitioners in rural areas.
The Gelsenkirchen Administrative Court will deal with the first of several pending proceedings against the rural doctor quota in an oral hearing on Tuesday (10 a.m.). Prospective doctors from North Rhine-Westphalia have sued because they received one of the coveted study places through the country doctor quota, even without a top high school diploma.
In return, when they start their studies, they undertake to work in an underserved area for ten years after their further training - otherwise they face a contractual penalty of 250,000 euros. North Rhine-Westphalia was the first of ten federal states to introduce the quota regulation in 2019 in order to counteract the shortage of general practitioners in rural areas.
Is a contractual penalty of 250,000 euros appropriate?
A total of at least 20 similar proceedings are pending in North Rhine-Westphalia. Four cases will initially be decided on Tuesday. According to a court spokesman, the plaintiffs want to have the contract they concluded with the country declared null and void. The main reason they cite is that the proposed contractual penalty is too high. The country argues that the punishment must be high in order to fulfill its purpose: it is intended to encourage prospective country doctors to comply with the contract.
Some lawsuits also concern graduates who would prefer to become pediatricians or doctors and are seeking further training. However, the country does not see any undersupply in this area.
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Decision in the first four cases on Tuesday
Very likely · Within hours
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