The Minister of Health presented an action plan this Thursday at the annual Emergency Conference, while the crisis has lasted for almost three months.
A mission to rebuild emergency services and financial support for overactive establishments: Agnès Buzyn, Minister of Health, presented this Thursday, June 6 a plan composed of five measures to respond to the demands of the striking personnel.
Professionals know it, #MyHealth2022 will make it possible to better organize the system in the future to avoid overloading the emergency room.
But immediate solutions are also expected. I am announcing today 5 priority actions to respond to the distress of caregivers: https://t.co/RcDwQgG4dc pic.twitter.com/89dzEj7iOz
— Agnes Buzyn (@agnesbuzyn) June 6, 2019
Financial measures and reforms
The mission of overhauling the emergency services is entrusted to the deputy Thomas Mesnier and to the president of the National Council for Hospital Emergency, Pr. Pierre Carli. They have until the fall of 2019 to submit their report to the Ministry of Health. According to a press release from the latter, the goal is threefold: first, to take stock of the situation, then to measure what the effects of the reforms currently being carried out will be, and finally, to determine what other steps to take to improve further.
At the same time, the Minister indicated that she was going to mobilize the Regional Health Agencies (ARS) to carry out architectural renovation work in the emergency services in order to improve the reception of patients. Paramedical personnel are now entitled to a risk premium under certain conditions. Agnès Buzyn said she wanted to standardize it in order to take into account the difficult working conditions and the possible attacks suffered by caregivers. The last measure announced concerns the cooperation bonus, which will be granted to health professionals who use the delegation of powers to reduce waiting times in the emergency room.
Between 50 and 80 establishments on strike
For almost three months, many emergency services have been on strike. According to the Inter-Urgences collective, this represents 80 establishments as of June 6. According to the government, it would be about fifty services. At the start of the week, the emergency night team at the Paris Lariboisière hospital went on sick leave. The staff of this service are asking for more resources, in particular by stopping the closure of beds and increasing the number of staff. They also want better recognition of their work with a net increase of 300 euros in their salary.
A demonstration was organized this Thursday in Paris between Montparnasse station and the Ministry of Health. According to France Infoit brought together some 500 participants at the start of the afternoon. The emergency physician Patrick Pelloux was present in the procession, in support of the emergency teams. “The workload has become absolutely phenomenal, he said. We have a real organizational problem”. He underlined the courage and determination of the nursing staff. In France, the number of people treated in emergencies doubled between 1996 and 2016.
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