The National Union of Ophthalmologists (SNOF) is launching the “Zero delay in 2022” campaign. The objective is to remind that ophthalmology waiting times are not inevitable.
According to a Yougov survey (1), 57% of French people want presidential candidates to engage on the issue of waiting times in ophthalmology. Faced with this expectation of our fellow citizens, ophthalmologists have decided to raise their voice. The National Union of Ophthalmologists of France (SNOF) is launching this Tuesday the campaign ” Zero delay in 2022 “.
He stresses that waiting times in ophthalmology are not inevitable and urges the presidential candidates to vote. In a press release, Thierry Bour, SNOF president, explains that “the French are tired of waiting 100 days for an appointment with their ophthalmologist,” and that they “are not ready to give up quality care for so much “.
And for the leader of ophthalmologists, the solution to reduce waiting times among the longest medical specialties is simple: “It’s a question of political will. It suffices to free up internship positions in ophthalmology, ”he insists.
250 retirements each year
The latter points out that for 250 retirements each year, only 150 new ophthalmologists are trained. “Yet ophthalmology is the specialty most requested by medical school students: three out of four students wanting to do ophthalmology cannot get a job! », Specifies Thierry Bour. Among the solutions, the president of SNOF also calls for the development of cooperation between ophthalmologists and orthoptists, a solution acclaimed by the French! He points out.
This is indeed cited by policyholders as one of the three best solutions to implement. And the idea is also progressing in the spirit of our policies since the construction of this medical team was facilitated by the last decree published in the fall of 2016 on orthoptists.
The objective is now to go from 40% of ophthalmologists in assisted labor today, to 80% in 2025. For this, it is advisable to better distribute the positions of orthoptists on the territory and to generalize the internships of students. orthoptists in private ophthalmology offices.
An online petition
According to the practitioner installed in Metz (Moselle), the future President of the Republic now has all the cards in his hand to act, “then, it’s up to him! », He concludes. In the meantime, the French also have the opportunity to engage firmly in this debate and speak out in favor of these solutions. For example, they can sign the petition launched by SNOF on www.zerodelai.fr (change.org)
As a reminder, eye health concerns a majority of French people: 77% of them say they have an optical correction – a figure that rises to 94% among those over 55. Of the entire population, 70% wear “only glasses” and 7% say they wear “mainly contact lenses”, according to the Yougov poll for SNOF.
(1) The survey was carried out on 1004 people representative of the French national population aged 18 and over. The survey was carried out online, on the YouGov France proprietary panel, from January 3 to 4, 2016 using the quota method.
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