Project for medical care on the road
DocStop is a European health project to improve medical care for professional drivers in commercial road haulage. The association developed in 2007 from the pilot project "Healthy on the road". The initiator at the time was Rainer Bernickel, police officer and road safety consultant.
The initiative started on 11 July 2007 at the Lomo-Rasthof on the A4 motorway in Eisenach. Right from the start, the interest, especially from the medical profession, was huge. More than 700 doctors and hospitals are now participating in DocStop. The aim of the organisation is to contribute to greater road safety and the creation of a healthier workplace by providing better medical care for truck drivers and professional drivers in the transport industry. The project is supported by many celebrities, in Germany for example such as Jürgen Drews, Markus Lanz or Truck Stop.
DocStop is also growing in other European countries
DocStop is also growing at the European level. In Austria there is also a DocStop organisation with around 80 doctors and about 30 contact points. In Denmark, seven doctors are involved at four DocStop points. The association also maintains contacts in Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Poland and Hungary.
Doctors treat about 4000 drivers every year
According to a survey among DocStop doctors, every year around 4000 professional drivers (BKF) or long-distance lorry drivers turn to one of the 700 doctors in Germany to be treated for health problems on the road. Mostly it is back pain caused by sitting for long periods, strenuous loading and unloading of freight, headaches and lack of sleep as well as stomach problems due to the often - from a health point of view - not optimal nutrition on the long distances. The uncontrolled use of over-the-counter medicines with uncertain side effects can also dangerous for the drivers. The approximately 200 dentists among the DocStop doctors are also more frequently called upon.
DocStop is completely uncomplicated
DocStop works quite simply. Suppose a sick driver needs medical attention on the road. He then calls the DocStop hotline at
00800 03627 867 or 00800 DOCSTOP
The hotline staff will tell the driver the nearest DocStop point of contact and the telephone number of a doctor's practice or hospital. At many of the contact points there are the necessary parking spaces. Service personnel support the drivers in finding a doctor in the regional area. The medical supply point (doctor's practice, hospital) is usually no more than four kilometres away from the starting point and "minor" complaints such as toothache, permanent headaches or sudden back pain are also treated. By the way, only the costs of the normal medical treatment are billed via the health insurance card of the respective insurance company. Everything else is voluntary commitment of the doctors.
More about the DocStop service
More information is available on the Internet at www.docstop.eu. All locations of the DocStop doctors can be found there. There are also apps for mobile phones which also include this service
