77 days is the average waiting time to get an appointment with the ophthalmologist. This period can even reach 7 months in some departments, or even a year in some practitioners.
Yesterday, the Minister of Health, Marisol Touraine, took stock of the 12 works undertaken a year ago by the government to improve access to care. According to her, “the first results of the assessment are very encouraging. But obviously, the task is far from being accomplished for the minister. The Yssup Research Institute conducted a study among 2,643 ophthalmologists for the Point Vision group (1). And the results published on Tuesday are enough to hurt the eyes of the French. They show that in France, you have to wait 77 days on average, or more than two months, to get an appointment with an eye specialist. In addition, some French regions are even worse off!
Up to a year of waiting in some departments
In detail, the average departmental wait can go up to 7.3 months, and in some practitioners reach more than a year. Worse still, 15% of ophthalmologists are not even able to receive a new patient within the year.
Furthermore, “ this time is extended by another 33 days when a patient seeks an appointment with an ophthalmologist in sector 1, compared to a specialist in sector 2 “, confides Geoffroy Cornette, director of studies at Yssup Research, contacted by why actor.
Average time before an appointment with 2,643 ophthalmologists in France
The Loire is in the worst situation
And in this sad list, it is the Loire department which is at the top of all the departments in terms of the longest wait, with 205.3 days on average for a consultation. Then follow, Finistère, Isère and Seine-Maritime which also rank among the poor performers with all these departments waiting for more than 174 days.
In addition, it is also in the Loire, that patients have the most difficulty making an ophthalmologist appointment during the year. In this department, this even proved impossible for 65% of the people questioned, even though they had contacted at least 20 specialists.
This worrying trend also affects other departments such as Meurthe-et-Moselle (59%) or Moselle (46%), in which it remains extremely difficult to get an appointment.
Finally, in this classification, some good students emerge, however. And there, it is in Paris, in the Hauts-de-Seine, the Alpes-Maritimes and the Bouches-du-Rhône that the waiting times for an appointment are the shortest (from 24 to 40 days in mean).
Average time before an appointment by French department
(1) National study conducted among 2,643 ophthalmologists between October 15, 2013 and January 30, 2014. The field of study was carried out by telephone with a specific consultation request for a prescription for glasses. 42% sector 1; 58% sector 2.
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