The finding is shocking: On average, two appointments a day with the general practitioner are not kept … Due to the lack of patients present. And this without bothering to warn what represents up to 28 million appointments per year according to Doctissimo.
The rudeness of some serves others far more than it seems. And we are not only talking about the comfort of doctors, liberals or practitioners in the hospital, but also of patients. The appointment timehas been parasitized by this phenomenon for a long time, not to mention the impact on emergenciesalready burdened by patients who should go … To a family doctor.
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Not going to a doctor’s appointment could be sanctioned
Far from being anecdotal, these missed appointments are a reaction to the Union of the French Free Medicine Union (UFML), whose mission is to defend the conditions of practice of doctors. It proposes, through its President Jérôme Marty, imposition of a penalty against these disrespectful patients, in the order of a few euros.
Guest of Jean-Jacques Bourdin on Radio Sud on September 26, family doctor Jérôme Marty explained in Parlons Vrai chez Bourdin that it was necessary to think about “compensation for the doctor, but also a sanction for the patient”. He adds: “That the sums raised will go to a fund to solve medical deserts and difficulties in accessing care.”
dr Jerome Marty @drmartyufml @ufmlcommunaute on the possibility of criminal prosecution against power: “Prosecutions are likely to occur”@Eric Morillot @Uncorrectable
▶️ The YOUTUBE link of the replay here: https://t.co/CflXPL7QIr pic.twitter.com/W7vRUzzq91
– Südradio (@SudRadio) May 8, 2020
Patient rudeness punishes both patients and doctors
The union chairman doesn’t mince his words: “You can not blacklist, we do not have to judge the patient’s behavior. But we need to think about how to punish the patient who doesn’t come. The ball is in the hands of the government, we have to change the health law”. As for the pricing of sanctions, he believes “that they will wait and see after consultation with the health insurance company”.
François Braun, Minister of Solidarity and Health, goes towards the UFML on the bottom but remains unsure of the form. At least that’s what his testimony on September 27 in front of the France Info microphone suggests. It is necessary bill the patient even if he didn’t come to his appointment a fine which could be applied at his next consultation, or define another solution?
Online booking platforms for doctor appointments singled out
In any case, it will be about discussing with all affected players, e.g with online booking platforms for medical appointmentswhose development undoubtedly has amplified the phenomenon unnecessarily many appointments. In fact, impatient patients can schedule an appointment with multiple doctors and then choose one without canceling the others… The debate has only just begun.