In 2024, French hospitals will have activity levels similar to 2019, however the times to obtain an appointment have practically doubled in five years, according to the first barometer from the French Hospital Federation (FHF).
- The level of activity of hospitals in 2023 has “overall returned to the level observed in 2019”, estimates the first health barometer of the FHF.
- “Over the period from 2019 to 2023, we note a cumulative national under-use of 3.5 million hospital stays in medicine, minimally invasive procedures and surgery,” specifies the report.
- The report also shows that the waiting time to get an appointment has almost doubled in five years for the majority of specialties.
The level of hospital activity in 2023 has “overall returned to the level observed in 2019”, notes the French Hospital Federation (FHF) in its first health barometer, carried out in cooperation with Franceinfo. Howeverthere are “worrying disparities” depending on the services.
Care postponed due to covid-19: “nothing has been purged”
Although hospital tensions are lower compared to the time of the pandemic, health professionals remain very worried. “Over the period from 2019 to 2023, we note a cumulative national under-use of 3.5 million hospital stays in medicine, minimally invasive procedures and surgery”, specifies the report. Furthermore, Arnaud Robinet, president of the French Hospital Federation interviewed by Franceinfo estimate that “nothing has been purged” of these canceled or postponed stays linked to the covid crisis.
The barometer highlights a decline in treatment for digestive diseases (-11%), in cardiology (-13%), pathologies linked to the nervous system (-11%), and in rheumatology (-12%). According to estimates, 260,000 endoscopies and 600,000 major surgeries could not be carried out. The difficulties in absorbing postponed appointments, screenings and operations are not without consequences for the health of the French. The FHF alerts in particular on the “delay in the detection of certain cancers” or the “insufficient care for diabetics over 35 years old”.
For the FHF, the “sub-recourse” to hospital care has several explanations. Firstly, patients are finding it increasingly difficult to consult healthcare professionals. “Between difficulty accessing care and economic difficulties, more than six in ten French people have already given up on at least one healthcare procedure over the last five years.“, explains the association.
Furthermore, many hospitals have had to resort to occasional bed closures due to lack of staff and resources. According to the report, 70% of hospital establishments surveyed closed medical beds in 2023. The rate is 29% in surgery, 25% in critical care and 17% to emergencies. In total, 7% hospital capacities were closed last year. “Human resources is the mother of battles”recalls the president of the Hospital Federation.
Consultations: waiting times have almost doubled in 5 years
The report also highlighted strong disparities between territories. “The time taken to access care for rural people generally remains 52% longer than that of urban residents.”
Moreover, “the waiting time to get an appointment has almost doubled in five years for the majority of specialties”, the report states.
At the national level, while it only took 4 days to have an appointment with a general practitioner in 2019, it now takes 10 days in 2024. The time frame is also very long for a pediatrician: 3 weeks and 3 days in 2024 compared to 2 weeks and 4 days in 2019.
To see an ENT or gynecologist, it takes 2 months (1 month and one week and 1 month and 3 weeks respectively in 2019).
The average waiting time to meet a cardiologist is 2 months and 2 weeks in 2024 compared to 1 month and 3 weeks five years ago. That of a dermatological consultation is 3 months and one week (2 months and 2 days in 2019). These high waiting times lead many French people to emergency rooms. 54% of them admitted to having gone there for reasons that did not relate to a medical emergency. They were only 42% in 2019.
When asked about the reasons that led them to go there, 32% of respondents said they did not know who to contact. 30% explained that they were unable to get an appointment with a general practitioner or specialist within an acceptable time frame. 22% explained that the general practitioner or specialist had refused to take care of them without an appointment.
