In 2016, and over a period of four months, a general practitioner in Dunkirk prescribed 4,200 days of sick leave for his patients. Normally, the average to be respected is 3400 days over a given period. In The voice of the North, the deputy director of the Flanders Primary Health Insurance Fund (CPAM) explains that the practitioner is sanctioned because “he is well above this average. His prescription volume is too high”. Since March 1, 2017 and until June 30, 2017, the practitioner is monitored by a medical consultant from the CPAM’s medical service to monitor that the prescribed number of sick leaves is respected.
A risk of financial sanctions
To reduce his number of prescriptions, the doctor, placed under surveillance for four months, had to redirect some of his patients to colleagues. A poster was placed on the window of his office, to warn them of the current situation.
According to the daily La Voix du Nord, the doctor was totally unaware of the existence of quotas for sick leave. The CPAM first explains that “the goal is to help it reduce the number of prescriptions”. But, if at the end of these four months, the reduction is not respected, the general practitioner may be subject to financial penalties.
He is not the only doctor under surveillance on the territory of the CPAM of Flanders Dunkerque-Armentières. Twelve other GPs would also be under observation.
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