The Assistance Publique des Hôpitaux de Paris has announced the implementation of an action plan after the suicide of a cardiologist at the Georges Pompidou Hospital.
Almost three weeks after the suicide of Jean-Louis Mégnien, professor of cardiology at the Georges Pompidou hospital, the AP-HP announced on Monday the creation of an “action plan” aimed at identifying “conflict situations »Within the establishments, and to provide them with a rapid response.
Indeed, since the tragic gesture of Professor Mégnen, several colleagues accuse the administration of “mistreatment” and affirm that the latter would have been a victim of the conflicts which have plagued the hospital for several years. The family of the deceased practitioner has also decided to file a complaint for “moral harassment” – a reason that could be reclassified as “manslaughter”, according to Le Figaro.
Improve management
The executive board of the AP-HP, a consultative body responsible for supporting and advising the director general Martin Hirsch, does not deny the existence of these internal problems. “Too many interpersonal conflict situations escalate in hospitals and permanently affect the quality of care and the quality of life at work”, write the authors of a communicated.
The plan, which should be put in place “as quickly as possible”, is initially intended to delimit the role and responsibilities of practitioners and leaders, in order to avoid abuses.
Thus, it is a question of “better defining the managerial responsibilities incumbent on the heads of service and the heads of pole”. And to do this, to “re-institute service councils, to plan an annual assessment interview with all the practitioners of the unit, to set up regular assessment procedures for the managerial dimension of a unit “.
In addition, the management board wishes to “take better account of managerial skills before investing in liability practitioners”. “It is necessary that the doctors who have undisputed medical and scientific skills, but few managerial aptitudes, can have a recognition other than that of acceding to the responsibilities made for them”, further specifies the press release.
More transparent appointments
The plan also provides for “more guarantees of objectivity” in the appointment of department heads, “by re-examining the procedures for calling for applications and the selection criteria”. One way to respond to accusations related to the appointments of heads of service, which would meet vague criteria and would serve as a bargaining chip for pressure and blackmail, according to recent testimonies from doctors.
The plan also aims to restore a “duration limited to the term of office of head of service”, possibly renewed after an assessment “taking into account the assessment made by the medical and paramedical team on management”.
The management board also considers it necessary “to put in place a system for identifying risk situations within each hospital group” and intervention procedures which “are followed by decisions”.
The commission of inquiry criticized
Lastly, the members of the management board recall that it is up to the ad hoc committee of the AP-HP to “put in the malfunctions within the European hospital Georges Pompidou”.
A collective of support for the deceased doctor, however, denounced this commission on Monday, composed of three members “appointed” by Martin Hirsch, they accuse. These members have “links” with people of whom the cardiologist allegedly complained (his former head of department, Alain Simon, and the director of the hospital group, Anne Costa).
“The establishment of this administrative commission of inquiry and the choice of investigators do not guarantee total independence or total impartiality”, writes in a press release the collective which requests that the Igas (General Inspectorate of Social Affairs) be seized of the administrative investigation.
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