A bill that puts “once again the fire in the powder”, “the coup de grace dealt to liberal medicine”… The Médecins Pour Demain collective and the French Union for Free Medicine (UFML) are furious.
By calling on all liberal doctors to cease their activity, they want to show their opposition to the Valletoux billembellished with amendments by Deputy Garot.
Co-signed by nearly 200 deputies of the majority, this text intends “make effective the compulsory participation in the permanence of care“ health establishments, by clarifying the possibilities for the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) to use their services.
It also proposes to simplify the exercise of “practitioners qualified outside the EU” (PADHUE) and to oppose temporary medical work in certain establishments at the start of their career.
It also intends to strengthen the missions of the Territorial Health Councils, and increase the number of students who can sign “public service contracts” – with a monthly allowance paid in return for a commitment in a medical desert.
“A risk of collapse of facilities in general medicine”
For the Médecins Pour Demain collective, this is“a hollow and demagogic law that once again places the weight of the deficiency of the French health system on the few liberal doctors who persist in wanting to work in this exercise“.
They target in particular:
– the reinforcement of the administration,
– the automation of the membership of private doctors in a CPTS (Territorial Professional Community of Health, association 1901), forcing them to make known their refusal if necessary,
– the obligation of the Permanence of ambulatory care (PDSA), which is already “very efficient currently in France”,
– the ban on young doctors leaving school to practice temporary medical work,
– the regulation of the installation of practitioners in areas sufficiently endowed with general practitioners,
– the proposal to welcome doctors and caregivers from outside the EU. A “insolent proposal” according to Doctors For Tomorrow. “Isn’t the priority above all to keep doctors trained and to avoid the brain drain that we already know in other fields?”.
On the side of the UFML, “the vote in favor of this bill will permanently destabilize the liberal health fabricwith a risk of collapse of facilities in general medicine, an increase in travel by doctors at the end of their careers and a cessation of exercise for active retirees”.
“A total and global cessation of activity over a long period” announced
“This bill takes a further step towards two-tier medicine (low-cost medicine versus unconventional medicine) and unequal access to care for the French”also deplores the Médecins Pour Demain collective.
And the UFML to point out the daily increase, between 15 and 50 per day, of letters of intent to opt out, “a strong sign of the exasperation of liberal doctors”.
The UFML also announces a mobilization of the profession within a few months, with “a total and global cessation of activity over a long period”stating that “the health risk generated will be the responsibility of the politicians who will have supported the PPL Valletoux-Garot and thus signed their will to destroy the French liberal fabric, the only one able to maintain care as close as possible to patients and to save the public hospital, disastrously sabotaged by successive and current health policies. We will let their constituents know.”.
The unions speak of a “huge anger” et “historical”.