After several demonstrations in the medico-social sector in Isère in recent months, it is the turn of psychologists to take to the streets this Thursday, March 10. Liberal psychologists denounce the insufficient reimbursement of psychological consultations by social security. In the public hospital, the psychologists ask them for a salary increase. Patrick Ange Raoult, psychologist in Chambéry and president of the national union of psychologists was our guest.
France Bleu Isère: At the heart of your mobilization, there is a MonPsy system, set up by the government to reimburse certain psychiatric sessions through social security. What is wrong with this device?
Patrick Ange Raoult: The problems are multiple around this MonPsy device, decided by the government last year. 95% of collectives, associations, professional organizations are completely opposed to this device. For two main reasons. The first is the price, which is completely indecent in the context of a liberal practice: 40 euros for the first session, then 30 euros for the following sessions. So when you take out the charges, there are 12-13 euros per hour left, for people who have at least a bac +5, generally with university degrees in addition, sometimes doctorates, etc.
The second point is the medical prescription. You will need a prescription to benefit from these reimbursed sessions. This completely distorts the working methods. We had proposed other methods, because we understand the need for cost regulation. But why go to the doctor? Emmanuel Macron told us: “I can’t do this to doctors“. So, we are faced with lobbying that imposes this system.
The psychologists of the hospital public service are also demonstrating today, for salary increases?
Salaries have not been increased since 1991! We didn’t get any upgrading at the level of the Ségur de la Santé. Result: we now find ourselves with bac +5 psychologists who can earn less than Bac + 2 or Bac + 3, nurses, even caregivers, etc. It is an abuse put in place by the government with a desire to force certain methods that correspond neither to pluralism nor to the clinical needs in which we find ourselves.
You practice in Chambéry. What is the situation in the region? Do you have the feeling that things have deteriorated during and since confinement?
So it actually deteriorated, we know that the Covid revealed the basic suffering of many people, very strong needs. Psychologists were put forward at that time, and behind them, they are exploited, they are underpaid, they are mistreated in an unacceptable way, particularly in the public service. The salaries are outrageous. More and more young psychologists are in precarious situations.
We have talked a lot about the impact of Covid on the mental state of people, with depression, addictions also on the rise. Is that what you see?
Yes, there are not only real needs that are revealed, but there is also a policy of dismemberment of the public service which means that we have not recruited psychologists in the institutions, where we had psy devices free, accessible. Because this device we were talking about at the beginning, MonPsy, will not be accessible to the poorest, contrary to what we are told, it is the middle classes who will seize it to pay a little less for a certain number of consultations . Those who need it, we have to go find them, we need institutional arrangements to meet them. Otherwise they won’t come.