France: Faced with staffing problems, hospitals fear a difficult summer

Nurses in the emergency department of the Delafontaine hospital in Saint-Denis, north of Paris, on January 12 (Illustration image).

AP - Michel Euler

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

Almost all hospitals in France are facing staffing problems.

This is what emerges, among other things, from a study carried out between April and May 2022 by the French Hospital Federation among more than 400 public health and medico-social establishments in terms of non-medical human resources.

Summer could be "hot" for caregivers, fears the Federation. 

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The lack of human resources, particularly nurses and nursing assistants, in addition to a growing absenteeism rate, raise fears of a difficult summer for hospital services.

Over the past 10 years, the situation in terms of human resources at the hospital has obviously deteriorated sharply.

Absenteeism of around 10% on average has increased by 2.5% over 10 years.

And then, our survey shows that 99% of establishments say they have recruitment problems with vacancies that are significant

, ”said Frédéric Valletoux, president of the Fédération hospitalière de France, at the microphone of

Aram Mbengue

,

of the France service of 

RFI

.

However,

“all is not black”

, estimates president of the Hospital Federation of France.

The

situation is quite contrasting depending on the territories, the type of establishment, according to the size, according to the specialties and the integration of the technical platforms of the different establishments",

he says

.

The situation is also contrasted depending on the time of year.

"It would be a bad pun to say that the summer is going to be hot, but it will be hot for hospitals, especially for emergency services",

continues

Frédéric Valletoux, president of the Hospital Federation of France.

Emergency room closed at night, except prior call to 15

For example, the emergency services of the CHU Grenoble Alpes will limit their night reception from June 27 only to patients who have previously called 15. These measures will take effect from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

They will not affect pediatric, gynecological and obstetrical emergencies, and they concern the site of La Tronche, the main hospital in Grenoble, and that of the small town of Voiron.

►Also listen: Emergency crisis: the difficulties of the Dreux hospital

Night closings, " 

load shedding

 " on other hospitals, access filtered by the Samu: at least 120 emergency services have been forced to limit their activity or are preparing for it, alerted the Samu-Urgences association on May 20. of France (SUdF).

“For years,

we have always been reminded of our request to set up continuity of care plans in the territories

,

concludes Frédéric Valletoux, president of the Fédération hospitalière de France

It must be ensured that the hospital is not alone in the hollows of the summer to carry the organization of the care and the care of the French in the territories

»

(with AFP)

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