caregivers denounce a situation at the hospital “worse than last year”

The unions of public hospital doctors are calling for a strike for Monday July 3. A movement to which other professions cling, such as the union of medical regulation assistants, who answer the Samu telephone. Almost two weeks ago, four of the five main hospital unions had already called for a “national day of action”.

>> Hospital crisis: what results for the care access services, responsible for sorting patients before they arrive at the emergency room?

Caregivers denounce a catastrophic situation at the hospital, “worse than last year”. There are not enough staff on the duty rosters this summer due to the hospital’s lack of attractiveness. The unions are demanding wage increases and better working conditions.

Emergency closing at night

In order not to clog the emergency services, this summer again the Ministry of Health is calling on the French not to go directly to the hospital but to dial 15 beforehand, which annoys the hospital workers. “‘You do the 15’, it’s the answer to all the ills of the earth, it’s wonderfulquips Doctor Caroline Brémaud, head of emergencies at the Laval hospital. Except that at the end of the line, at night, two people answer. So if we tell everyone to call 15, we risk having long pick-up times. The emergency services of the three hospitals in the department (Laval, Mayenne, Château-Gontier-sur-Mayenne) will be closed every night in the summer from July 3. The Regional Health Agency invokes the lack of doctors.

In the emergency room of the Rennes University Hospital, the same concern for this summer. Some days, he will miss three doctors on a team of 11 when the service is already overcrowded with patients. “We have a big problem with downstream bedsnotes Doctor Julien Lazar. Many patients remain in the emergency room on stretchers. That’s a big problem.” Because the problem is not only in the emergency room, but in many hospital departments, says Professor Louis Soulat, head of emergencies at the Rennes University Hospital: “Entire departments are closed It is estimated that between 15 and 20% of the number of beds will be closed. In some peripheral establishments, it will be up to 40% of the number of downstream medicine beds that will be closed this summer.”

An increase in overtime not renewed

In the emergency room, the staff are exhausted and young doctors are leaving the hospital. Not to mention that this summer, the overtime increase has not been renewed. “It was a carrot last year, it worked well and it took into account the hardship, regrets Professor Louis Soula, who is also vice-president of the Samu Urgences union in France. Today, it doesn’t isn’t. It doesn’t make you want to do additional tracks.”

This summer 2023, the Samu Urgences de France union estimates that around one in three emergency services will be subject to regulation. Only patients who have previously called 15 and been authorized to come to the hospital will be accepted at night.