According to a survey carried out by the French Hospital Federation, more than six in ten French people would deprive themselves of a consultation with a health professional. A phenomenon that worries the authorities.
While in 2023, nearly one in four French people had already given up on healthcare for financial reasons, more than six in ten French people are now affected by this renunciation of healthcare.
The waiting times involved
Four years after confinement, the French Hospital Federation wanted to draw up a portrait of activity in the hospital and access to care. The figures show a worsening of an already worrying situation: more than 6 in 10 French people have already given up on at least one healthcare procedure over the last 5 years.
One in two French people have also “have already experienced a delay in hospital care over the last 5 years due to the overwork of the department or the doctor, or the difficulty in obtaining an appointment there, whether for him or a loved one“, warns the Federation.
Another distressing observation, this time in hospital: the use of care is below expected levels in several medical specialties (digestive care, nervous system, rheumatology, cardiology).
“In 99% of cases, this sub-recourse concerns patients over 45 years old, for a total of 428,000 stays.“, details the investigation.
The French also shun surgery; notably “major surgeries and secondary surgeries”. Transplants are thus down by 7.5%, i.e. “3200 transplants not carried out compared to what was anticipated (including 2200 kidney transplants)“.
What are the consequences for the health of the French?
The impact of this renunciation of care is immediately perceptible. When they were faced with a delay in care, “more than a third of French people say that this has had serious consequences for them“, confirms the French Hospital Federation. Worse still, “4 out of 10 chronically ill patients share the observation that their medical care has deteriorated since Covid”.
A situation deplored by Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of TipsForWomens.
“When patients can no longer access care and give up, because of long delays, medical deserts or financial inaccessibility, it is a third worldization of our health system! I receive 3 personal phone calls per day to speed up an appointment or obtain a place or an opinion…
It is urgent to make general medicine attractive because it is the role of the general practitioner to be the gateway and the conductor of the care pathway.
It is also necessary to re-motivate specialists, review the nomenclature (dermatologists prefer more profitable aesthetic medicine, etc.) and recreate local hospitalization structures.
The population is aging and will need more and more care, prevention and AI will not solve anything!“, he proclaims.
