Tired of not being heard by the government, liberal doctors are working hard. Their unions announced a new mobilization and the closure of the cabinets on Tuesday, February 14, in a letter directly addressed to Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne. The claim remains the same. Supported by the “Doctors for tomorrow” collective, they are asking for a revaluation of the consultation, with a doubling of the price, i.e. an increase from 25 to 50 euros. The objective is clear according to them: to create a “attractiveness shock” towards a city medicine that is seriously understaffed and overwhelmed by administrative tasks. The unions have given a deadline at the end of February to conclude a new agreement setting in particular the prices of practitioners over the next five years.
This is not the first time that liberal doctors have gone on strike. Since December, they have multiplied the days of mobilization. The latest date from January 2 to 8, 2023 inclusive. “Unfortunately, the government did not deign to pay attention to us despite this first week of strike”had then regretted the collective on its site, which deplores having been “unfairly lectured” by the Minister of Health.
The unions ask for “an additional financial envelope”
In their joint letter to Elisabeth Borne, the presidents of the six representative organizations of liberal doctors (CSMF, MG France, Avenir Spé, UFML, FMF and SML) affirmed that“an additional financial envelope was necessary to achieve the objectives set by the Minister of Health”François Braun, whose “guiding letter” kicked off discussions at the end of October.
“It is essential to give back to city medicine the means to meet the challenges”, insisted the unions. In this letter, they denounced a 2023 budget “well below inflation”but also the recent vote on a bill opening “direct access” to physiotherapists and certain nurses, and creating a « obligation collective » on call in the evening and on weekends for all of these liberal caregivers.
“Blocking decisions, which will inevitably lead to a failure of the negotiations”, they warned. The trade unions also gave their unanimous support to several “mobilization movements” in progress, from ” strike “ guards at “restricted opening hours”.
