On this special “Health” day on France Bleu Picardie, we ask ourselves a question: is the Somme a medical desert? A lot of indicators make it possible to answer in the negative. OThere are 1,860 general practitioners, which makes 97.5 practitioners per 100,000 inhabitants in the Somme according to the CPAM : this is more than 10 points above the national average – 86.4 per 100,000! The Somme is also the Hauts-de-France department with the most doctors, all categories combined.
Many young practitioners choose the Somme
What is reassuring is that many young practitioners settle in the Somme: there are twice as many installations as retirements, according to the Order of Physicians of the Somme. There are 98 installations in 2021 in the department: many young people trained in the department decide to stay there. The proof is: the average age of practitioners is 47 in the Somme, against 49 nationally. In contrast, these facilities are poorly distributed: most are concentrated in Amiens and its surroundings; there are not enough GPs in the east of the department but also on the Picardy coast and in Vimeu. These territories are classified as priorities: this means that the professionals who settle are helped by the CPAM and the Regional Health Agency.
– ARS HDF
A lack of medical specialists in the Somme
Moreover, the Somme is badly off in terms of specialists: 72.3 per 100,000 inhabitants is 10 points below the national average of 82.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. This is particularly the case among dentists: there are 180 throughout the department, according to the Order of Dentists of the Somme, i.e. 1 practitioner for 3,000 inhabitants! The Somme is the territory with the fewest dentists in France.