Phew of relief for the Dax hospital. Its future had caused a lot of concern in recent weeks, and more specifically since the announcement in mid-July of a record deficit and a recovery plan.
This included the elimination of 30 FTEs (full-time equivalents), mainly targeting healthcare service staff, and ten FTE medical staff (doctors). The inter-union movement mobilized at the beginning of September and challenged the region’s elected officials, no later than this Wednesday evening, during the Greater Dax Urban Council.
The inter-union launched an appeal to the territory’s elected officials on Wednesday evening during the Grand Dax Community Council.
Isabelle Louvier / SO
Darrieussecq’s intervention?
The mayor of the spa town, Julien Dubois, wanted to be the first to announce the news this Thursday, after having been questioned on several occasions on this sensitive issue.
“We received fairly satisfactory responses from the Regional Health Agency (ARS) immediately, during the meeting we had today (Thursday September 26) with its management, the prefect of Landes Françoise Tahéri, the deputy Lionel Causse, and a collaborator of Geneviève Darrieussecq (new Minister of Health, Editor’s note). We agreed that the financial situation of the Dax hospital must be monitored, he said. The trajectory of the establishment’s deficit must for the moment be looked at in parallel with the demographic dynamics of the territory. The director general of the ARS agreed, and the recovery plan, as well as the job cuts that accompanied it, has been canceled for the time being. »
Upcoming investments
Investments were also discussed during this meeting, “because they are necessary in view of the activity of the establishment”, recognized Benoît Elleboode, director of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine Regional Health Agency.
The mayor of Dax welcomed these announcements, adding that the financial situation of the establishment remained under surveillance: “Perhaps this recovery plan was the subject of announcements too quickly, which gave rise to criticism. legitimate concerns on the part of hospital staff and the population. The increase in activity generates revenue, so the job cuts did not seem likely to ensure the development of the establishment,” explains Julien Dubois, who also indicated this Wednesday evening that he had spoken with Geneviève Darrieussecq on the subject, during a telephone conversation “where we went into detail. And she already had very detailed knowledge of what was happening at the Dax hospital. »
“Not a local hospital”
On the union side, we are also satisfied with these announcements, even if vigilance remains essential: “The Regional Health Agency is very clear on the fact that the establishment must return to a trajectory and a deficit ”in the average ” establishments of this importance. The plan is therefore abandoned ”as is”, but savings will have to be made. The National Agency for Supporting the Performance of Health and Medical-Social Establishments (ANAP), in its report, found 3 million euros of measures to be implemented without affecting human resources at the Dax hospital center », Notes Géraldine Madounari, CGT representative.
“It is finally an awareness that the Dax hospital absolutely cannot be considered as a local hospital. Indicators such as demographics, up 2% in this territory, the number of elderly people, or even the level of poverty of part of the population of this territory, have worked in our favor. A significant envelope should also be released as part of the Ségur files,” said the union representative.
Negotiations will be carried out between now and the end of the year with the management of the hospital (with its director Stéphane Jacob or his successor).
Socialist elected officials highlight the mobilization of unions
The elected socialists of Landes sent this Thursday evening, September 26, a press release “taking note” of the announcement by the director general of ARS Nouvelle-Aquitaine to cancel the recovery plan; the communication of the future mission letter which will be addressed to the hospital management aimed at resuming social dialogue and finding ways to reduce the deficit; and that a “Segur” envelope, supporting future investments, is being studied.
“The mobilization of unions and citizens, supported by elected socialists, has enabled progress and a position taken by the competent authorities. The quality of the two Landes hospitals must be preserved so that the healthcare offering in the territories meets the needs of the population,” write the Landes socialist elected officials.
