Faced with the risk of overcrowding in the Emergency Department, which is particularly sensitive in the summer period, the Ministry of Health recommends dialing 15, which is being gradually transformed into a “care access service”.
In some cases, this prior call will even be necessary to be able to access the Emergency Department, according to the ministry, without providing details on the number of hospitals concerned. “This will be done territory by territory”, in particular “with regard to the workforce present” and the “choice of local actors”, he indicated.
A good reflex to keep
In general, 15 “is the right reflex” when you have not found a solution for a health problem that quickly requires medical advice, said François Braun’s office, addressing in particular the future vacationers.
Thanks to the progressive establishment of healthcare access services (SAS), the 15 is increasingly able to “provide a response for the care” needed within 48 hours, he explained. “We can offer you an appointment” with a doctor, or even sometimes “send a prescription directly from the healthcare access service platform” or “put you in touch with a teleconsultation, in an organized setting”, has added the cabinet.
The SAS now cover half of the French population, the cabinet said. The objective of the Ministry of Health is to reach 100% of the territory covered by the end of the year. The hospital is now under pressure due to a chronic lack of staff.
A sensitive situation
The situation is particularly sensitive to the Emergency Department, which is likely to quickly become overcrowded in the event of an influx of patients. A standoff over the remuneration of interim doctors further complicates the situation for hospital directors, who often struggle to fulfill their schedules.
The Ministry of Health had started discussions in the spring with the unions of hospital practitioners to strengthen the attractiveness of the profession, in particular by better paying guards on weekends and at night.
But discussions are pending budgetary arbitration within the government, while Bercy is particularly counting on the health sector to save money. Two alliances of hospital doctors’ unions have filed strike notices for Monday and Tuesday respectively.