March 27, 2023

The government announced on Monday that it was increasing the maximum salary of temporary doctors at the public hospital by almost 20%, in the hope of avoiding a strike by those concerned and the closure of services almost everywhere in France. The announcement made by the Minister of Health François Braun during a visit to Alençon comes a week before a tightening announced on the hiring of interim doctors.

Supported by the Fédération hospitalière de France, which brings together public hospitals, the government will impose from April 3 that the remuneration ceiling for temporary workers is strictly respected and can no longer be exceeded.

“Upgrading”

The government no longer wants what it calls “mercenary interim”, where some practitioners raise the stakes far beyond the ceiling. “When doctors demand 1,500, 2,000, 2,500 euros for 24 hours, this jeopardizes the continuity of care (and) the financial security of the establishment”, declared on March 14 to the Assembly the government spokesman. , Olivier Veran. The government and the FHF estimate that medical interim represents an additional cost of 1.5 billion euros each year for public finances.

To pass the pill, the government has therefore decided to increase the remuneration ceiling by 20%, which will go from 1,170 euros gross for 24 hours to 1,390 euros. This is a “upgrade compared to the revaluations that have taken place for hospital doctors” since 2016, the date on which the amount of 1,170 euros had been fixed, the ministry was told.

69 establishments threatened

The executive is playing big in this affair, because all over France, hospitals, especially in medium-sized cities, have already warned that they risk closing services more or less temporarily, for lack of being able to recruit temporary workers. demanding more than the ceiling. The closures might notably concern key services such as emergencies or operating theaters.

The National Union of Interim Hospital Physicians (SNMRH), standing up once morest any cap on remuneration, has published on its website a list of 69 establishments across France which it believes might be forced to close services.

“It is the whole survival of our public hospital structures, everywhere in France, small and medium-sized local ones” which is at stake, the union said on Monday in an open letter to elected officials.

Premium revalued

In an attempt to loosen the grip a little more on hospitals in need of practitioners, Braun also announced on Monday the revaluation of the “territorial solidarity bonus”, which pays hospital doctors agreeing to go and lend a hand in the hospitals in their area.

It is “a practitioner in a hospital who, in addition to his usual work, agrees to help another hospital, in difficulty”, in specialties in tension such as emergencies, radiology or pediatrics, explained the minister to Alencon.

The revaluation of the premium will be decided locally by the Regional Health Agencies (ARS). But the hospital doctor who came as reinforcement might receive “up to 2,200 euros gross” if he comes to work 24 hours on weekends, and “1,700 euros gross” if he comes to work 24 hours during the week, said Mr. Brown.