Treatment abroad: Germany 

Germany is a leading destination for medical tourism, renowned for its advanced healthcare facilities offering specialised treatments in fields such as orthopaedics, oncology, and cardiology, attracting international patients seeking high-quality care in a modern and efficient healthcare system.

Quality of care,low prices and a central European locationGermany a popular overseas health care destination for Europeans and international patients seeking surgery and treatment abroad.

Why consider Germany for medical tourism?

Germany has so much to offer you simply as a tourist, from endless forests and wildlife, to some of Europe’s most exciting cities. It is also famous for its many beers, such as Franconia and Wheat beer from Bavaria, Klsch from Cologne as well as often under rated red and white wines. The “Oktoberfest” beer festival in Munich is world renowned and offers the chance to enjoy not only flowing Steins of beer, but also the varied traditional cuisine of sausages, Stollen cake and rich gateaux.

Contrary to the caricature of the ever efficient, businesslike German, the population, especially in the medieval towns, enjoys life to the full, with a host of festivals and cultural events. Much of rural Germany takes life far less seriously than their industrial city counterparts, and you will find a warm welcome wherever you go.

The medical and healthcare standards in German clinics and hospitals are high. Germany has over twice the number of hospitals for every 1000 inhabitants compared to the USA and there is a great emphasis on supportive aftercare and recovery. It is no surprise, therefore, that medical tourism for elective surgery, cosmetic procedures and dentistry is becoming more common with patients travelling from countries throughout Europe and from the USA in particular.

Private cosmetic surgeons operate in the major cities and health care standards in Germany are considered to be high, with surgeons undergoing many years of intensive study and training in order to practice. The University of Bonn medical centre hospital, for example, is a modern, state of the art facility and internationally renowned for its surgical and medical expertise.

Reasons to choose Germany

Modern, state of the art facilities

Internationally renowned surgical and medical expertise

High standards of care at competitive rates

Central European location with easy access

Great value accommodation

Inspiring scenery including Rhine castle cruises

Healthcare in Germany

Germany is rightly proud of its healthcare system, which is the oldest in Europe and one of the best in the world, with universal healthcare provided for all through a series of state sponsored insurance plans. All citizens are covered by this public health insurance, with the exception of the highest earners and the self employed, who are obliged to join private schemes.

The healthcare system itself is not run by the government however. A collection of self-governing national and regional associations provides staff and facilities, financed by the insurance premiums. This system results in high quality facilities right across the country, even in rural regions, and it is rare to have to wait long for treatment. Germany boasts over 2000 hospitals, including 37 university hospitals.

The German Tourist Board actively promotes healthcare tourism to take advantage of these excellent facilities, and hospitals are encouraged to create programmes that support overseas visitors. In 2010, 77,000 people visited Germany for medical treatment from 178 countries around the world and this number seems to be growing by at least 10% each year. To meet the growing demand for medical tourism, an increasing number of German hospitals now have a dedicated department to deal with foreign patients.

Specialist facilities include a world leading diabetes centre at the University Carl Gustav Carus in Dresden, the German Heart Centre in Munich, the Neurosurgical Clinic in Nuremberg, the Technical University in Munich, which specialises in breast cancer and the University Clinic in Dusseldorf, which specialises in cancer of the lungs and digestive tract.

The German Tourist Board also promotes the wellbeing aspects of healthcare tourism to Germany, promoting the many spas and health resorts that offer natural remedies such as clay wraps, mineral treatments and radon gas treatments, some of which are unique to the country.

German healthcare may not be the cheapest in the world but it is also not the most expensive and is certainly hard to match in quality or efficiency.

View information about doctor accreditations in Germany here

Accreditation and qualifications: cosmetic surgeons

Only plastic surgeons who are fully trained and qualified in reconstructive and cosmetic surgery of the entire body surface and the face are qualified to practise cosmetic surgery in Germany. This is represented by the official title; Plastic and Aesthetic Surgeon (formerly just Plastic Surgeon), which doctors receive after completing a six-year training in the speciality of Plastic and Aesthetic Surgery, finishing with a successful board certification.

After six years of medical school, doctors enter the plastic surgery training programme and during the six years of specialisation they undertake a large number of procedures under assistance and supervision of a consultant surgeon, qualifying for the final exam only if an approved and documented number of procedures have been performed.

Upon successful completion of this exam, surgeons are eligible to full membership of theGerman Society of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (DGPRC), formerly known as the Association of German Plastic Surgeons. It should be noted that an ‘associated member’ can be a young physician in training, so fully checking the credentials of membership is recommended. TheAssociation of German Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (VDPC)is a subsidiary of the German Society of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons and it only allows surgeons who focus on aesthetic surgery to join.

The institution where the board exam is taken is the rztekammer, which has regional units. The national institution is the Bundesrztekammer. In Bonn for example it is therztekammer Nordrhein. Cosmetic surgeons in Germany are often members of theGeneral Medical Council (GMC)in London as well as Medical Doctor Chambers in Europe and private clinics and hospitals are assessed and checked by the Gesundheitsamt.

Travel and accommodation in Germany

Flights to Germany

Germany has 30 international and regional airports.The main international airport in Berlin is theBerlin Tegel Airportand the internationalCologne Bonn Airportis the largest European hub for low fare airlines. There are buses and trains offering quick and comfortable connections to and from the airports, as well as the usual taxis and car rental companies at arrivals.

Internal flights

There are regular internal flights between the major cities mostly run byLufthansaand DeutcheBritish Airways. Call Lufthansa, on 08457 737747, or British Airways on 08457 799977 for internal flight information.

Travelling by car or rail

The road and railway infrastructure in Germany is considered one of the best in Europe and this makes travelling around the country an easy and pleasurable experience.As you would expect, the rail system is excellent in Germany and there are plenty of good connections to European destinations.

German public transport is also reliable and efficient.The national rail network is operated byDeutsche Bahn(German Rail) and is one of the most extensive and advanced networks anywhere in Europe featuring super fast InterCityExpress (ICE) trains.Tickets can be bought at stations in Germany.

Most major German cities have an underground, and a good bus and tram system.Tickets need to be purchased before boarding at the automated ticketing machines and need to be date stamped using the dating machines on board the vehicle, or at the entry gates of major stops.The Welcome Card has become very popular in major towns and cities and gives the visitor discounts or free admission on many tourist attractions and unlimited travel on local public transport.They’re valid between one and seven days and can be purchased from railway stations or at local tourist offices in Germany.

Taxis are very easily available in all major cities and are usually cream coloured Mercedes Benz cars.As a general price guide the average fare in Germany is at least €1.30 per km with higher than average prices in the large cities.There is a minimum charge of €2.50.

Accommodation

Hotels in Germany offer excellent value for money. The World Travel and Tourism Council compared the average price for hotels in countries worldwide and the rates of German hotels ranked well below other European countries.The average hotel room in Germany costs €65 per night.

About Germany

Situated in the heart of Europe Germany borders nine countries – Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Poland and Denmark. With many lively cosmopolitan cities including Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne, as well as the natural beauty of the Black Forest, the Alps and the Rhine and Danube rivers, Germany has plenty of diversions to stimulate the medical tourist.

Germany’s turbulent history, especially in the 20thcentury, needs no retelling here, but since the collapse of the Soviet Bloc and the hugely symbolic fall of the Berlin Wall, Germany has prospered as a peaceful, united land.

Following the reunification in 1990, Berlin was reinstated as the capital of Germany and is located in eastern Germany, about 70 kilometres west of the border of Poland. The events of the past may have left their mark on Germany’s largest city, but today Berlin is one of Europe’s most buzzing capitals, a vibrant culturally rich city and a permanent hive of activity with performing arts, museums, galleries, and some 300 clubs, 7,000 bars and restaurants, many of which are open around the clock. Shoppers will be in their element on Kurfrstendamm or Friedrichstrasse and shouldn’t miss KaDeWe, the department store on Wittenberg Platz which is the largest store on European mainland.

Germany has a reputation for manufacturing prowess, with market leaders such as Siemens and car manufacturers BMW and Volkswagen, but this is no grimy industrial landscape. Cologne, for example is known as the arts capital and hosts Germany’s largest cathedral, which is a designated UNESCO World Heritage site. The city’s Rheingarten park and old quarter are other highlights. Bonn is located 20km south of Cologne and was the capital of West Germany between 1949 and 1990.

Along with Germany’s lively cosmopolitan cities there’s much more to experience in Germany and tourists can explore the country’s natural beauty easily by car or train, with the famous Autobahn roads the envy of Europe. Think fairytale castles in Bavaria, charming medieval towns like Hamelin and Trier and over 25 world heritage sites. Hot spots include the Rhine and Moselle valleys, the Bavarian Alps and lake lands, the Baltic coast, the Harz Mountains, Lake Constance, Saxon Switzerland, the Black Forest, the Bavarian Forest and the volcanic Eifel region.

The climate in Germany is northern European and temperate but if you travel to the centre of the country in winter, expect plummeting temperatures.