Growing shortage of Doctors, espêcially GPs

[NormanH]

The ordre de médecins has just published a highly detailed report which can be consulted here:

https://www.conseil-national.medecin.fr/sites/default/files/diaporama_atlas_2017.pdf

[Lehaut]

Very pretty, but no answer to the growing problem!

[idun]

I have known that this has been a growing problem for years, well documented.

Not only generalistes but smaller hospitals too, including maternity!!! Happening in England too, but distances OFCOURSE are a lot less.

Much has been made of generalistes in Paris and how some struggle to make the SMIC, should be no surprise either what with their equipped cabinets to run, and 25euros a visit.

[woolybanana]

The government has just announced a raft of measures to help doctors in areas such as those of low population density. And the right for doctors to help each other out, as well as money to set up their practices.

[Patf]

That sounds good WB. We live in one of those underpopulated rural areas.

I've just come home from a week in hospital, nothing serious TG, and I can't speak highly enough of the care I received. I want to go back!

While there I spoke to a few locals and was rather surprised to hear them complaining. I suppose to them it's not quite as excellent as it used to be.

I told them - you should come to England where instead of a small 2 bed room you're usually in a big mixed gender ward. Or can't get onto a GP list. +++

[Cendrillon]

Pat health care in UK is not quite as bleak as you painted.

I've just spent a weekend in our local NHS hospital. After surgery I recovered in a 6 bed, all female, recovery unit. It was new and immaculate. Unfortunately next day I had to make a quick return to same hospital, spent time in A&E and then on two other wards before I was finally fit enough to leave. Those wards were also 6 bedded and all female and clean .

Our G.P. practice functions well and has recently received an award of excellence.

[andyh4]

But that is (I assume) in the sunny leafy scenario of South East England. Try going to Northumberland or Durham even Cumbria, where local hospitals are closing and GP practices are not being taken up when the incumbent GP retires.

They talk of a golden hour in the event of a serious problem - trauma, stroke etc.. Well if an ambulance takes on average 8 minutes to get to you (and in these areas 8 minutes is a rarity) it takes 10 minutes to assess you and 40 minutes to get you to a hospital, the golden hour is reduced to just 2 minutes!! Good luck with the queue at A&E.

[Cendrillon]

Pat health care in UK is not quite as bleak as you painted.

I've just spent a weekend in our local NHS hospital. After surgery I recovered in a 6 bed, all female, recovery unit. It was new and immaculate. Unfortunately next day I had to make a quick return to same hospital, spent time in A&E and then on two other wards before I was finally fit enough to leave. Those wards were also 6 bedded and all female and clean .

Our G.P. practice functions well and has recently received an award of excellence.

[Cendrillon]

Sorry double post and can't delete it now.

[Cendrillon]

I've experienced A&E in both UK and France and with the same complaint. Both gave good service.

A&E in local (UK) hospital last weekend was overstretched and understaffed making it a lengthy wait.

My family live in Leeds and have had good treatment at the Leeds General and St James hospital.

Sadly it's not perfect everywhere in UK and I do appreciate that lesser populated regions struggle. Of course our health service badly needs funds however I've noticed great improvement over recent years, so it's not all doom and gloom.

[andyh4]

But that is exactly the point of Norman's post on France. Yes there are superb centres of excellence around the country, but the less populated areas are now suffering a dearth of services - just like the UK.

I cannot judge what the UK is like anymore basing my experience on family members all in the SE, and "local" news reports to where we lived - where the picture is very, very different and it seems to me very much more severe than the problems here in my bit of France - which is not immune by any means.

If you doubt me then just do a search on Wansbeck (Northumberland), Northallerton (N Yorkshire), South Shields (Durham), Whitehaven (Cumbria). These are just hospitals under threat. Last year the retirement of a GP in Northumberland required the local population to re-register with GPs at least 15 miles away - by no means a unique situation out in the sticks.

Here in France we have lost 4 local doctors but 2 new dynamic doctors have arrived (and to be honest I could never understand how such a small population could support so many doctors, but I now have to book an appointment several days in advance rather than for tomorrow). The local (cottage style) hospital is expanding and large sections are being replaced with new buildings and facilities.

I tried to do a comparison of our area with Wansbeck and could not find the regional population but Ashington which is part of the Wansbeck area has a population over 3 times our local population.

Both countries have their problems but my limited view of regional services - as opposed to metropolitan services - is that France is still well ahead of England.

[Lehaut]

There have been more articles on this subject than usual on the French 1300 news. Free housing, tuition fees paid, bounties etc are been offered by councils. In a telling interview with a young Dr, he asked why anyone would want to move into a village/area with no school, no commerce, no rail or road links whatever was the carrot. His point was well made and easy to understand, especially if you have children of that age who think the same for their work environment.