Saturation of pediatric services, medical deserts… What to remember from the interview with Agnès Firmin le Bodo

Agnes Firmin le Bodo Minister Delegate in charge of Territorial Organization and Health Professions, was the guest of the “8:30 a.m. franceinfo”, Saturday October 22, 2022. Saturation of pediatric services, medical deserts… She answers questions from Lorrain Sénéchal and Neila Latrous.

Saturation of pediatric emergencies: “There is a problem”

Five thousand pediatric caregivers sent an open letter to Emmanuel Macron on Friday to denounce the saturation of hospital pediatric services, degraded working conditions and inadequate care, results of a “irresponsible political inaction”. “There is a problem” and “you have to work”recognizes the minister in charge of territorial organization and health professions. “Open beds of course, but with staff, and the staff must be found”she adds. “It is a substantive work that has been undertaken since the last five-year term”according to her.

Medical deserts: “The measures taken will only produce their effects in seven years”

Agnès Firmin-Le Bodo believes that “87% of French territory is in an under-dense area”, in other words, in lack of doctors. Especially since in the remaining 13%, “many doctors will be retiring in the months and years to come”she adds. “The ideas of regulation, coercion and compulsion might have worked decades ago when there were doctors and might work in the years to come when we have doctors again. doctors thanks to the abolition of numerus claususpoints out the minister. “The measures taken during the last five-year period will only produce their effects in seven years”. It is therefore necessary, according to the Minister “free up medical time”in “developing physician assistants, advanced practice nurses”.

The government wants to authorize certain nurses to make prescriptions for minor illnesses. “The doctor remains the main referent, we do not bypass him, but we work with him”, she continues. The Minister also returned to the reform of the training of general practitioners which plans to add a fourth year with internships “in priority” in medical deserts. “Even if at the moment the students don’t want it, this fourth year will be built with the interns”, she points out. It’s a year “professionalizing”with some “training supervisors”details the minister.

Paracetamol: the minister asks “citizens not to store it at home”

On Wednesday, the ANSM, the College of General Medicine and the pharmacists’ unions (FSPF and USPO) formulated “recommendations to moderate the use of paracetamol”. The Minister recommends that pharmacists distribute “two boxes” maximum to patients and asks the French to “do not store” at their home.

Find the entire “8:30 am franceinfo” of Saturday October 22, 2022:


source site-14

Latest