Doctors tell us why they quit - 20 Minutes

The number of people living in a territory lacking in general practitioners rose from 2.5 million in 2015 to 3.8 million in 2018, due in particular to many retirements, according to a study by the Drees published on Friday.

"The share of the French population" living in an under-dense area (that is to say having access to less than 2.5 consultations per year and per inhabitant), is "low", underlines the statistical service of the ministries social. "But it goes, in four years, from 3.8% to 5.7%," he said.

Guyana, Martinique and Guadeloupe most affected

In question ? "The overall decrease in the number of practicing physicians under the effect of many retirements, which the new facilities do not compensate", due to "the prolonged effect of the numerus clausus" having limited the number of practitioners trained in over the past few decades.

"On a regional scale, Guyana, Martinique and Guadeloupe" are the most affected by medical under-density, "followed in mainland France by Ile-de-France and Center-Val-de-Loire".

Drop in number of doctors

"The situation is particularly degraded in Guyana", affected by "very strong population growth" and where almost half of the inhabitants (44.2%, or about 120,000 people) are affected. But it is Ile-de-France which concentrates the largest number of people living in under-dense areas, ie 1.8 million, against 318,000 in Center-Val-de-Loire.

In these two regions, "the number of general practitioners decreased by 4.2% and 5.8% respectively", despite positive demographic growth. Normandy, for its part, saw the share of its population concerned go from 1.5% to 5.3% over the period. "A level now close to the national average" and here again linked to the drop (-4.2%) in the number of doctors.

In general, "inequalities are increasing between the least well-endowed and those who have the most," notes Drees. And "the areas best endowed with general practitioners are also the most attractive, both from the point of view of demographic growth and of facilities (sports, cultural, commercial and educational)", she adds, pointing out "a more problematic overall spatial planning ”.

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