During his general policy speech, the Prime Minister on Tuesday brandished a series of measures aimed, for the most part, at optimizing “medical time” to combat difficulties in accessing care.
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“Despite the work of our caregivers, there is a shortage of medical time.” This is the observation made by Gabriel Attal during his general policy declaration, Tuesday January 30, to the National Assembly. “Our compatriots cannot find enough doctors”also regretted the Prime Minister. He has therefore increased the number of announcements aimed at optimizing this “medical time”, from financial penalties for appointments not kept by patients to the restoration of on-call obligations for private doctors, in certain departments.
The head of government also had a word for the mental health of young people, via the “My psychological support” system which he wants to reform, and announced an increase in the salary of school nurses. Franceinfo takes stock of this host of measures.
A financial penalty for unkept appointments
The Prime Minister wants more firmness towards patients who do not keep their medical appointments. How ? By establishing a financial sanction. “I want a simple principle, which translates into clear measures this year: when you have a doctor’s appointment and you don’t come without warning, you pay”, declared Gabriel Attal. According to him, these unfulfilled appointments cause people to lose “millions of hours” of medical time.
Every week in France, 6 to 10% of medical appointments are not honored, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Council of the Order of Physicians already warned in January 2023. This represents, according to the two institutions, 27 million consultations per year and “nearly two hours” consultations lost every week, “whatever the discipline”.
The restoration of childcare obligations in certain departments
Gabriel Attal threatened to restore on-call obligations for liberal doctors, in departments where the access to care service (SAS) would not be able to be set up. “In departments where there is still no access to care service” by next summer, “I am ready to go further, by restoring on-call obligations for self-employed doctors, in the evenings or on weekends, in their offices, in hospitals or in nursing homes“declared the head of government.
The SAS, new version of the emergency number 15, helps relieve emergency congestion by directing people who need a diagnosis or treatment to the most suitable structure, which is not necessarily the hospital but more often city medicine. To work, it needs good cooperation between the two.
An “emissary” to recruit foreign doctors
While Emmanuel Macron had already announced, two weeks ago, the regularization of practitioners of other nationalities in the territory, Gabriel Attal wishes to go further to fight against medical deserts. He has promised Tuesday to appoint an emissary “responsible for looking abroad for doctors who would like to come and practice in France”. “NOT“We must find ways to bring back our young French people who have gone to study abroad.” also estimated the Prime Minister.
“We are going to accelerate the passage of 6 000 to 10 000 medical assistants who will allow doctors to focus more on patients and less on administrative formalities”, also specified the head of government. Concretely, he estimates that this will represent “2.5 million additional consultations released every year” for patients.
Finally, he wishes to better recognize the experience of health personnel. Thus, a “nurse anesthetist, who has a baccalaureate +5, several years of career and experience, must be able, if she wishes, to enter directly at least into the 3rd year of medicine”, he suggested.
A reform of the “My psychological support” system
On mental health, Gabriel Attal made a mea culpa on behalf of his government. The “My psychological support” system, created in April 2022, “started with a good intention, but it did not give the expected results.” “We must have the courage to recognize it, even if it was we who put it in place”, he admitted. Consequently, “we are going to increase the price of the reimbursed consultation to limit the remaining costs for young patients and their families as much as possible”, promised the Prime Minister.
He also wants to allow young people “to have direct access to a psychologist, without necessarily going through a doctor”. Another announcement aimed at this public: the creation of a center for adolescents in each department. “There are 50 today”he recalled.
A bonus and a salary increase for school nurses
The Prime Minister announced a salary increase and an exceptional bonus for school nurses. They will receive a bonus of 800 euros in May, from which date their salary will be increased by 200 euros net per month.
We need to recruit more school nurses and better recognize their commitment.”, he insisted. According to Snics-FSU, there are currently around 7,800 working in educational establishments, but this union estimates that 15,000 additional positions are needed.
A reform of state medical aid before the summer
Gabriel Attal finally mentioned the upcoming reform of state medical aid (AME), a promise that Elisabeth Borne made to the right during negotiations on the immigration bill. “We will do it before summer by regulatory means”, he clarified. The head of government assures that the reform will be based on “a basis that is known: the Evin-Stefanini report”.
This document issued in December 2023 concluded that the AME, which provides full coverage of health costs for foreigners in an irregular situation present in France for at least three months and subject to resource conditions, is a system “generally controlled”but who “worth adapting”.