French medical professionals strike in droves:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
The French medical professionals' protest continues. On March 10, there was an all-out strike on March 10 with 50,000 healthcare professionals on the streets of Paris demanding better conditions. The GPs among them were demanding a 15% increase in their consultation fees, to Euro20 ($17.40), and a 46% increase in home visit fees to Euro30 (see Clinica No 997, p 3). On March 12, there was another demonstration in Paris, this time in protest at the consequences of the recently introduced 35-hour week. Healthcare professionals are demanding additional resources and staff to cope with the impact of this ruling. The unrest is snowballing at a critical time: the government is preparing for forthcoming elections. But it will be a tall order for any government to accede to the GPs demands for an increase in their consultation fees: it would cost the social security some Euro250 million a year.