French GPs set to end strike and return to work on Monday

Independent GPs on strike in France are set to return to work on Monday, January 9, regardless of the outcome of a meeting with the health minister today (January 5).

The collective Médecins pour demain, which has been organising much of the strike, has promised that GP surgeries will reopen next week.

The group Is set to meet with Health Minister François Braun this afternoon, with representatives from the collective and independent doctors’ unions expected (l’Union française pour une médecine libre (UFML), la Fédération des médecins de France (FMF) and le Syndicat des médecins libéraux (SML).

The movement has called for better working conditions for independent GPs, and for on-the-spot fees for an appointment to double to €50.

Read more: French GP strike enters second week, no solution in sight

But, no matter how today’s meeting goes, movement leader Dr Christelle Audigier said that GP surgeries will reopen on Monday.

She told Capital: “We must care for patients during the full epidemic season.” She said that she was very satisfied that representatives will be meeting with Mr Braun.

“We expected this moment,” she said. “We are hoping to find out why it has taken so long to offer this discussion meeting.”

Discussions will take place at the same time as a protest march by the collective.

Dr Audigier said that even though surgeries would reopen on Monday, the collective was not finished. She said: “We will lead other actions from within our surgeries. The idea is to raise awareness among patients about other issues, not just the €50 consultation fee. For example, doctor burnout.”

She also said that doctors were suffering from “administrative overwhelm”.

“The time that we dedicate [to admin] could be dedicated to care, if we could recruit people that we can delegate these tasks to,” she said. This is a major reason that doctors are calling for a €50, rather than €25, fee.

“This would also allow us to buy quality materials and get our premises up to standard.”

Meanwhile, discussions between GP union reps and the Caisse nationale de l’Assurance maladie are also set to resume in the coming weeks.

“We are open to dialogue, which is why we’re reopening the surgeries,” said Dr Audigier. “But we are listening intently to pronouncements from President Macron, and we hope that doctors’ voices have been heard during the strike.”

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