what to remember from the interview with the president of the French Hospital Federation

The Hospital Federation published on Monday a barometer of hospital activity which focuses on the effects of confinement. Its president, Arnaud Robinet, was the guest of franceinfo.

The year 2023 marks a return of hospital activities to a level equivalent to that of 2019 but the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic have significantly deteriorated the medical care of the French, according to a barometer from the French Hospital Federation, published Monday March 18. So, “3.2 million hospital stays were postponed or canceled between 2019 and 2023”indicates on franceinfo Arnaud Robinet, president of the French Hospital Federation.

Deprogramming and renunciations

The primary cause of postponements and cancellations is deprogramming. “I remind you that the public hospital received more than 85% of patients hospitalized for Covid. We had to deprogram through the white plans”, explains Arnaud Robinet. The second cause is a failure to seek care among those over 45: “One in two French people have delayed an appointment with the doctor or a hospital consultation and six in ten French people have given up on care during the last five years, which is still quite worrying”, he emphasizes. He points in particular to a lack of staff but the renunciation of care is also explained by a “overload of activity in the service concerned”, “financial reasons” and “territorial disparities”the distances to get treatment sometimes being too great.

Four out of ten chronically ill patients share the observation that their care has deteriorated since 2019. The consequences for patients can be very serious, in particular “cancers that have not been diagnosed and therefore burdens on the public health system in the years to come”says Arnaud Robinet. “Obviously, in terms of public health, it’s very, very worrying.” Transplants are also down 7% compared to 2020.

Emergencies as a remedy

The FHF barometer is based on an opinion poll carried out by Ipsos focused on access to and renunciation of care. The waiting time to get an appointment with your general practitioner and specialist has almost doubled in five years: “This is the consequence of a medical demography which is in great difficulty and in many territories, there are many disparities”, believes Arnaud Robinet. For example, you have to wait between three and six months for an appointment for a consultation for melanoma: “In terms of prevention, in terms of care, the consequences can be dramatic for the patient”he explains.

When there is no appointment with a specialist, the patient turns to the emergency room, which welcomes 19 million French people each year. Among them, 30% can be covered by community medicine. 54% of French people say they have already gone to an emergency department “aware that it was not an emergency”according to the barometer.

No “hospital-centrism”

The president of the French Hospital Federation calls on the public authorities. He asks the government “a programming law with well-defined objectives in the medium and long term”. Furthermore, Arnaud Robinet does not want “hospital-centrism”. “We want better coordination with the hospital, with community medicine”he explains.

In the 2024 Social Security finance project, 600 million euros in savings are requested from the hospital. “I warn, I say stop! We will not be able to hold on”says Arnaud Robinet, denouncing “investments that will not be made” and “consequences on human resources”. “Health must be a priority”he insists.

The good news remains the resumption of hospital activity. 74% of establishments plan to reopen beds in 2024. “It’s a thrill. That’s why we’re telling the government not to break this dynamic with savings measures for the public hospital”he concludes.