The theme was not expected in the debate, but the French are sensitive to it: the health sector is the public service that would most need improvements, according to the results of the great national debate.
Health, one of the main concerns of the French? It seems like. Among those who took part in the great national debate, a quarter consider that they do not benefit from a sufficient access to public services. For 30.4% of them, health is the main problem. medical deserts, saturated emergency services, closing of pharmacies… There are indeed many shortcomings in our healthcare system and citizens are well aware of this. According to the first consultations of the great national debate, the only areas for which the French are also ready to pay more taxes are health and disability.
Much needed improvement
The balance sheet of great national debate was presented this Monday 8 at the Grand Palais in Paris. In matter of public service, health comes first. Indeed, citizens want this system to evolve: 27.8% of contributors want the system to be improved, followed by assistance for the elderly, which needs improvement according to 16.9% of participants.
This need for improvement was cited above all in the complaint books and the RILs. This prevalence of the health field can be explained by a large number of retirements of doctors who are not replaced, especially in rural areas, or by financial difficulties in accessing dental care. Indeed, according to a study carried out in March 2017 for The world, health geographer Emmanuel Vigneron “established that 3.9 million French people lived in territories with an alarming situation in terms of access to health professionals and that 4.8 million were in neglected territories”. A situation which therefore requires urgent measures.
What solutions?
During the regional citizens’ conferences and the participatory workshops that accompanied them, the participants have already thought about avenues for better organization of the health territory. Nevertheless, the solutions advocated by the French have already been rejected in the past. Among these, the obligation for doctors to settle in these neglected areas (medical deserts or underprivileged areas of cities) with counterparties. Measure who has already been rejected both by health professionals and by the government. To be seen if the government’s latest health measure – authorizing pharmacists to prescribe certain drugs in addition to being able to vaccinate – will pass.
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