The incentive by the purse. The “flash mission” carried out in June by the new Minister of Health, François Braun, to unclog the emergency services during the summer has put together some 41 proposals, all retained by Elisabeth Borne. Among this set of measures, those of an increase of 15 euros for liberal doctors for the care of people who are not in their patient. If they agree to receive a patient in a non-serious condition referred by the 15, they will receive this “bonuses“.
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This is the case of Doctor Alice Perrain. Her consultation schedule is already busy, but with her four colleagues from the Touraine health center where she works, she will make sure to find a few additional slots if necessary. “We have a number of reserved slots that are only open on the same day. And the secretary knows that she can contact us if there are no more appointments. We can even find a place within the hour“, she testifies.
“Doctors are ready to work a little more when it makes sense”
Doctor Alice Perrainfranceinfo
She assures him:If that makes sense and it’s not an inconsiderate request from people who, for example, absolutely want their appointment before 2 p.m. because at 4 p.m. they go to the hairdresser, for example“, so in this case she will receive the patient, she slips.
For each patient referred by Samu or 15, Dr. Perrain will therefore receive 15 euros from Social Security. “It’s a bonus“, she believes because taking on more patients, non-vital but relative emergencies, this general practitioner has been doing it for several months, via an experimental device: the SAS, thee Care Access Service.
This is a device provided for by the Pact for the refoundation of emergencies in 2019, supposed to allow better orientation of the patient in the healthcare system, and to have access to an appointment in town if necessary. “At center 15, the patient either has a simple advice or, in 10% of cases, there may be a need for a medical consultation with a general practitioner in the office. And he will see this patient within 48 hours.s”, explains Alice Perrain.
In Indre-et-Loire, where Alice Perrain works, more than a quarter of liberal doctors already agree to take over from Samu on a regular basis. “People call 15 for a lot of things“, according to her. She takes stock: “Ear infections for children, cystitis, bronchitis, the Covid with complications, back problems, knee pain, sprains… It’s a usual activity for us, it’s nothing extraordinary“, she explains.
And to unclog hospital emergency rooms, Dr. Alice Perrain is also delighted with another measure put in place this week: that of allowing patients who are not mobile – the elderly, people with disabilities – to be transported by ambulance or taxi to a general practitioner’s office. Medical transport was previously authorized only to emergency services.