“Our health system is going through an unprecedented health crisis”notes the SAMU-Urgences de France (SUdF) union in its survey, published on Wednesday August 3, on the emergency situation in July 2022. The study points to the difficulties in medical and non-medical human resources, the closure of beds of hospitalization and the lower availability of the liberal care offer linked to summer holidays.
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“In this context, access to urgent care and unscheduled care are threatened and emergency structures are put under strain”can we read in this survey which is based on feedback from 331 health establishments (i.e. approximately 50% of the national territory), distributed in 92 departments.
Of the 331 establishments surveyed, 90% of them said they were in difficulty with medical human resources and 89% with non-medical human resources. There are 73% of these establishments which have recourse to interim solutions during this summer to strengthen their emergency reception services. In addition, almost all facilities (95%) report a significant lack of available beds for their patients.
For all these reasons, 72 establishments (22%) had to reduce or completely close their short-term hospitalization services (UHCD) while 42 establishments were forced to completely close their emergency department at night. At the same time, activity increased by an average of 12.3% in July compared to July 2021, with around 180,000 more passages than in 2021 over the same period.
The survey, which also assesses the impact of the recommendations of the “flash mission” led by François Braun before he was appointed Minister of Health, considers that their implementation is “insufficient”. This mission, which resulted in 41 recommendations that entered into force this summer “does not ensure fluidity and safe operation” in emergencies, assures SAMU-Urgences de France. Among these measures, we find the establishment of medical regulation prior to access to Samu, an information campaign on the proper use of emergencies or even territorial mutual assistance when a structure is closed.
Eighty-eight establishments (26%) have set up access restrictions, including 67 with systematic medical regulation by the 15th to authorize access to emergencies. In establishments that have implemented this prior medical regulation, the increase in activity was less than in all establishments. It increased by 10% in July instead of 12.3% in establishments that did not implement it. As a result of this, the 97 centers questioned out of the 102 in the national territory testify “from an overvoltage” of their services, while they also face a shortage of staff to respond to emergency calls.
To fight against the “additional hardship” of the summer period, SUdF calls for the “revaluation of paramedical nursing staff”, including for ambulance attendants and medical regulation assistants who respond to calls from 15, and the doubling of allowances for guards. night and weekend. He also calls for better bed management.
“Without binding measures, we must expect the rapid evolution towards an explosive situation”, warns SAMU-Urgences de France. According to his predictions, “the situation will deteriorate further in August, with an increase in institutional bed closures and a decrease in the availability of the liberal healthcare offer linked to leave”.