REGISTERING WITH A DOCTOR

[Teamedup]

I'm not posting this on the Health Section as hopefully more people will look in here.

But it has happened at last. According to our  GP, the government snuck through the following law this summer when everyone was away: We now have to register with a GP or hopefully not a specific one but a practice.

Husband was at the GP's this morning and the GP was going mad about it. Unfortunately husband didn't ask about specialists etc and if one will just be able to go and see them.

 

So all change.  For those of you just arriving, well, it may not seem odd that they do this.  But for those of us who have been here a long time, well, it already feels odd to me and I suspect it will for other long timers too.

 

I knew that they would have to do something as the SS budget is in a right mess... ah well! So what is next on their agenda I wonder.

 

[SaligoBay]

TU, do you have a link for this?

I mentioned recently in conversation that I'd heard we were going to have to be faithful to one doctor, but nobody seemed to be aware of it.  Can't remember whether the reaction was "c'est pas normal ça" or "c'est pas possible".

[Teamedup]

No I haven't found anything either, but as our GP has mentioned this then I take it it is imminent.

[Iceni]

I always go to the GP first, seems sensible to me.

When it gets like the North of England where they now have one GP to cover 1000 square miles of night cover I will really feel at home and where one county has scrapped doctors at night and has nurses who send the patient to hospital if they cannot prescribe an asprin - luckily France is a long long way behind but as progress always seems to be a case of going backwards they will hopefully never catch up.

[JohnM]

I can't remember if I've asked this before, I know I've thought it! If I have asked, I've certainly forgotton the answer and worse still, can't find the question or answer in a search! As an "occasional" visitor who sometimes lets friends use the cottage, should I take any positive action re health advice.

At the moment all I've done is copy the doctors list from the window of the tourist office and put in the "How to use and do everything in John's Alpine Hideaway" guide . Do you think I should:-

1. Contact one (or more) of the doctors and ask if I can use / recommend him / her / them.

2. Forget the GP's and just put the emergency number, hospital address and Taxi number by the phone.

3. Both.

4. None.

What do you do?

 

[Miki]

Acording to something I read a little while ago, wasn't this ruling supposed to cut down on the number of people who wander along to different Docs to get second opinions and therefore more prescriptions for medicines, thereby costing the country a fortune in "waste" both in Doctors time and repeat prescriptions, which often of course goes unused.

It is said that persons with full cover or even worse (financially) full free cover (many of course deservedly getting this cover but the principal is the same) who can simply go along to as many Doctors as they can manage and then get the extra medecines on top and although all paid for, by their cotisations by some, the authorities have found, that this waste alone, is costing the health service a fortune in this kind of "waste" 

 

[Alexis]

I hadn't heard about this.  Might have happened whilst I was away.

The French take their illnesses very seriously and I can see them doing the round of doctors to see if they all agree.

As for John and his problem, if it is serious I would just phone the pompiers.  If, however, things are tightening up, it might be a good idea to register with your local doctor - just in case.  You could ask the receptionist.....  Less 'dragon' like here.  Ours is usually outside 'avin a fag!

[Jo53]

[quote]I always go to the GP first, seems sensible to me. When it gets like the North of England where they now have one GP to cover 1000 square miles of night cover I will really feel at home and where one...[/quote]

In our very rural region there is already a crisis in night cover, and in doctor numbers in general. Doctors don't want to come here, and many of the existing ones are close to retirement. GPs don't seem to be as multi-skilled as the ones in the UK and refer to specialists for almost anything, and you do get waiting times (a stye in the eye = ophthalmologist = 8 weeks wait; a small cyst under the skin = dermatologist = 6 weeks wait). Certainly for the cyst, a good GP practice would have whipped it out under local in a week or two.

And yes, you still have to wait 45 minutes in the waiting room because the GP is running late on appointments. And yes, the waiting room is still shabby and dirty! All in all, just the same as back home, except it's free there. Though I'm sure it's all very swanky in areas where doctors want to live. They are very poorly paid in France, and badly put-upon by the 'system'.

Jo

[Teamedup]

This for the time being concerns medecine generaliste conventionee. They are under a lot of pressure from the Seçu to take on a list, a lot. And as generaliste don't get great wages, there is a carrot as the Seçu is offering them financial incentives.

So I am wondering how this is going to work. We as punters aren't obliged to sign up as yet. However, if our generaliste does sign up to this, then will we be able to avoid having to. Or if the GP does and ends up having a full list  will they still see us?

They will be called medecine de reference and if we sign up, will not have the 'right' to go and see another GP.

At least for the moment, specialists are not concerned.

[Mistral]

This has been on the news in france both before and after the summer holidays. I'm not sure that we can complain about it being "snuck in" The reforme de la sécu was one of the things the government promised to do at the last general election and Chrirac did mention it in his new year's speech so we've been waiting for it happen. As far as I've understood it, you need to be sent on to a specialist by your GP. I think you can still go and see one without referral but you are reimbursed differently. I haven't really been listening too much because I only ever go and see the same GP.

This might help http://www.assurancemaladie.sante.gouv.fr/