The Syndicate of Liberal Doctors (SML) is preparing to meet with the Association of Mayors of France to demand the return of free parking.
To continue making visits, the liberal doctors’ unions are calling for free parking. After the appeal of the main union, the CSMF, last September, it is the turn of the Syndicates of Liberal Doctors (SML) to bang their fists on the table. They denounce the new regulations that have come into force in several large cities in France. In Lille, Paris or Troyes, the caduceus no longer allows visiting doctors to park for free.
Believing that home consultations are a public service, Dr Philippe Vermesch, president of the SML calls for the return of free care. He will try to convince elected officials on May 3 during a meeting with the Association of Mayors of France, chaired by François Baroin.
What is the current situation for physician parking?
Dr Philippe Vermesch: Until now, the town halls were tolerant regarding the parking of doctors. When we put our caduceus on the front window, parking was free. The problem is that 8 or 9 big cities, in particular Paris, Rouen and Lyon, have started to verbalize the doctors. When leaving their patients, practitioners found fines of 35 to 45 euros on their windshields.
In Paris, the town hall offers an annual package of 240 euros and charges an additional 50 cents per hour, a reduction of 50%. A visit lasting between 30 minutes and an hour, the annual fee can amount to 1000 euros. It is not financially sustainable. And we believe that the home visit is a public service that the doctor renders to his patients, it is not normal to charge them.
Listen to the full interview with Dr Philippe Vermesch:
Some town halls cite excesses to justify the introduction of these fees …
Dr Philippe Vermesch: It is possible that these abuses exist, but here the town halls charge all doctors without distinction. They could therefore have found a system that allows individualization. I also insist on the fact that the mayor of Paris would know, thanks to the National Health Insurance Fund, the number of visits made by doctors. This is unacceptable because this data is supposed to be confidential.
Who are the doctors concerned?
Dr Philippe Vermesch: All general practitioners who make visits, but also specialists. Personally, I am a stomatologist and I make visits from time to time. SOS Médecins is also concerned. In some towns, only them are still on duty.
What will you ask of the Association of Mayors of France?
Dr Philippe Vermesch: Free because it is a public service. Today we are faced with medical deserts and patients who have struggled to find an attending physician. In addition, liberal medicine is less and less attractive, so there is absolutely no point in taxing doctors. Worse, it could cause them to stop visiting.
So we are going to tell them our disagreement and ask them to introduce free again. Depending on their response, we will try to put in place a system that can satisfy all doctors and town halls.
In the meantime, the SML made a blue disk to affix on the windshield which is accessible on our site and which we distributed to the Congress of General Medicine. We also sent it to our members and to the doctors who requested it. It is available for download on our site.
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