The French like their doctors… but have concerns for their health system

Voysla / Pix-5

Published the 21.10.2017 to 17h42

A A

Keywords :

enquêtemédecinmédecine of villehôpitalsystème of santésondageconfiance

The opinion has its constants. When we asked the French to their professions of choice, the political representatives arrive always good last, often driven by the journalists (too much honor !). The health care professions, by contrast, are consistently among the most popular. The last barometer of opinion of the ministry of Health (Drees)* is no exception : when asked about their doctors of city, the French are full of praise.

Thus, more than eight out of ten people consider themselves to be satisfied with the quality of care provided by general practitioners (88 %) and by the specialists (81 %). The few 3023 respondents do not stop there : they are the same proportion to appreciate the time given (84 %) and the level of information provided (87 %) by their general practitioner. In the event of a health crisis, and it is to him that the French would go (9 on 10), far ahead of the media and politicians (less than 1 in 5). Do not take more.

A doctor you is missing and everything is depopulated

As a counterpoint to this eulogy, a few shadows appear. But they relate less to doctors and the health system. Thus, the problems of medical workforce are felt : 3 out of 10 people would like to have more general practitioners near their homes, and half report a shortage of specialists (including ophthalmologists). A problem especially noticeable in medium and small urban centres.

The observation is mitige also when account is taken of socio-economic criteria. “Beyond the territorial disparities, people in financial difficulty or in poor health are more often dissatisfied with the access to and quality of care “, note the authors of the report.

The public hospital has less and less of the coast

In sum, doctors like their physicians of the city, but are starting to feel the flaws in the system. And on the side of the hospital, what is it ? Another barometer of opinion**, published also last week, brings some elements of answer. The French respondents and 72 % have a good image of public health facilities, which is slightly above the european average (70 %).

If the image of the public hospital remains good, she has been constantly deteriorating in recent years (- 8 percentage points compared to last year). And this is only the beginning. Three-quarters of French people think that the hospital care will deteriorate in the future, and they are only one-third trust the government to remedy the situation. About dissatisfaction following a hospital stay, it increased : 9% in 2015, it is increased to 20 % this year.

Placed end to end, these elements shape a health system that is precious in the eyes of the French, and an actual recognition vis-à-vis health professionals, but they also reveal the sense of a gradual decline in quality and access of care, very clear to the hospital and more diffuse in the city. In short, the time where France could boast of having the best health system in the world seems remote indeed.

* Barometer of opinion of the Drees, made from 3023 respondents at the end of 2015, Laura Castell and Celine Dennevault (Drees), ” Quality and access to care : what do the French think of their doctors ? “October 2017.

** Survey Odoxa for Orange Healthcare, the MNH Group, FHF, and Le Figaro Health, and France Inter, from 1023 French polled via the internet between the 27 and 28 September 2017, “health Barometer 360° : The French and the hospital of tomorrow,” October 2017.