The Minister of Health announced the creation of a mission on the attractiveness of medical careers to alleviate the shortage of manpower in the hospital.
The hospital is not popular. In recent years, the public sector has struggled to recruit. At the end of their internship, medical students flock to clinics or private practices, but shun the institution. And those who work there are eyeing private careers. Result: vacant positions and endangered quality of work.
Proposals expected before the end of the year
To reverse the trend, Marisol Touraine, the Minister of Health, will launch a mission on the attractiveness of careers at public hospitals. It will be led by Jacky Le Menn, former director of the Saint-Malo hospital. This 73-year-old former socialist senator was a member of the Social Affairs Committee in the Senate. He has already produced several reports, notably on regional health agencies (ARS), hospital pricing and medical biology. His mission begins on 1er December.
“A first assessment at the end of December will allow the rapid implementation of the first measures to improve medical attractiveness”, explains a press release from the ministry. Proposals are expected “on the diversification of modes of practice, teamwork, the revitalization of hospital medical careers and their management, particularly at the start of the year”, as well as on “the improvement of working conditions. “.
1 in 4 vacant positions
Marisol Touraine was committed to the hospital unions to look into the loss of attractiveness of the hospital, a phenomenon known for a long time. In fact, the vacancy rate for full-time positions is around 23%, and 40% for part-time positions.
In January 2013, PS MP Olivier Veran produced a report to denounce the consequences of this lack of attraction for the hospital: “deterioration of the quality and safety of care”, suffering at work, or even massive recourse to medical interim – a practice which would represent an additional cost of 500 million euros per year.
Anesthesiologists, first affected
More recently, the Court of Auditors analyzed the sectors which particularly suffer from this labor shortage. Anesthesiologists are on the front line, with more than one in four permanent hospital doctor positions vacant. And the situation is expected to worsen with the retirement of more than 1,600 practitioners by 2020.
Radiologists, psychiatrists, emergency physicians and pediatricians are struggling to attract future recruits. Health establishments also report a shortage of physiotherapists, nurses and nursing aides.
Aware of this recruitment difficulty, the unions have made proposals to make the hospital attractive. The FHF thus suggested setting up a recruitment and information platform, a sort of “job exchange” which would make vacant or future hospital vacancies available to all doctors. She also wants to improve communication on careers at the hospital from the initial training, and invites future doctors to go to the website ” PH by interest “.
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