The principle of the “emergency” service at the hospital is to be accessible at any time of the day and night, 24 hours a day. But this summer, in France, that will change. Due to a lack of resources and medical personnel, several hospitals are forced to close their emergencies during defined time slots., as in the Hénin-Beaumont polyclinic, explains Le Monde.
From 8 p.m. to 8 a.m., the emergency room doors will therefore be closed to the public.. Patients will be invited to go to other nearby establishments. On the other hand, within the polyclinic, an emergency doctor will remain on site, to manage the emergencies of patients already hospitalized.
Shortage of emergency physicians and health crisis
The summer period is always complicated to manage, because it is necessary to replace people who are on leave. There will not be enough midwives this year, for the first time, to fill the gap, for example. On the emergency room side too, there is a lack of arms. The health crisis aggravated a problem that had already arisen in previous summers, in particular by reducing the period for taking leave, due to the high levels of hospitalization in recent months.
This decision can lead to fear of losing speed, of endangering patients. But the hospitals are so overwhelmed that the reception of patients 24 hours a day is no longer provided with the necessary security, explains Le Monde. The medical staff are exhausted and can no longer accumulate overtime. Some departments will operate with reduced staff, others are still looking for solutions for the coming weeks, and some will close due to lack of options.
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