The envelope promised by the Minister of Health, François Braun, to help pediatric services has been inflated to 400 million euros. The announcement was made on the evening of Wednesday November 2, under pressure from caregivers, after a day of meetings at the Elysee Palace and then at the Ministry of Health. It is thus 250 million euros which have been added to the 150 million already promised on October 23 by the government to support “services under pressure” of the hospital. This money should make it possible to reinstate until March 31, 2023 certain measures put in place this summer, such as the doubling of the remuneration of night hours for “all hospital staff”.
Above all, the “critical care bonus” granted to certain categories of nurses to respond to the Covid-19 crisis will be extended to all paramedical staff working in these departments under pressure, and in particular to pediatric nurses in pediatric departments, who were previously excluded. These measures aim to “recognize the unfailing investment of our hospital professionals”, said François Braun on Wednesday during a press conference. The minister acknowledged a “worrying situation” in hospitals, linked to an epidemic of bronchiolitis “disturbing”.
For Olivier Brissaud, head of the pediatric intensive care unit at the Bordeaux University Hospital, who took part in the meeting at the ministry, this last measure represents “a strong signal to the paramedical staff and an awareness of the major oversight of this summer”. Regarding the other measure “recycled”, “It’s just a bandage that will further exhaust the staff”. From now on, ” you need to go forward “ : the ministry has announced the forthcoming establishment of thematic working groups expected to lead in the spring of 2023 to national pediatric meetings.
Same observation for Isabelle Desguerre, head of the pediatric neurology department at the Necker-Enfants Malades hospital, in the 15e district of Paris : “It’s a small response to a big problem, but we’re not going to spit on the small measures that we’re being offered. “Now the work of reflection must lead to a funded and precise action plan”supports the neuropediatrician, who also participated in the meeting.
“We are putting children at risk”
“The basic problem concerns the need for recognition of the specificities of paediatrics”, she says. Professional-backed solutions were released on Wednesday morning in South West in a grandstand signed by all French pediatric resuscitation managers, without exception. Strict and permanent compliance with the ratios of paramedical personnel in relation to open beds in critical care (legally, one nurse for two beds), adaptation of the number of pediatric critical care beds to the population pool and continued opening of these beds all year round … So many proposals that will have to be studied with a view to the spring meeting.
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