President Emmanuel Macron has promised to overhaul hospital funding and cut red tape for doctors in an attempt to tackle what he called a 'sense of endless crisis' gripping France's health service. The pledge comes as hospitals face a 'Black January' of winter illnesses, staff shortages, and strike action, with some units reporting up to 90 per cent of staff on 'sick leave protest'.
Recent measures, including €50,000 bonuses for GPs in under-served areas and lifting the cap on medical students, have failed to ease pressure. France's second-largest health union has called an unlimited walkout, following a fortnight of GP strikes. Doctors and nurses say chronic staffing shortages and rising demand are making their work unsustainable.
'We're all in the same boat, and the boat is now like the Titanic,' said Julia Venturini, a trainee GP who joined a Paris rally. Many younger medics are considering quitting or moving abroad, discouraged by financial strains and burnout. The National Order of Nurses estimates 40 per cent of working nurses want to leave the profession despite an extra €12bn a year for salaries.
Macron aims to shift from a procedure-based funding model to one based on health objectives, though details remain unclear. The crisis is exacerbated by an ageing population: almost half of French doctors are over 55, compared to 15 per cent in the UK. A medical helpline for staff has seen calls more than triple since Covid, with some callers threatening suicide.
