Hospitals across France have enacted their emergency plan blanc (white plan) rules due to the current heatwave, as an influx of patients relating to the hot weather is anticipated.
With mainland France have just endured its hottest day ever recorded and the severe heat set to continue this week, the plan blanc allows for hospitals to focus on an influx of patients relating to a single issue (in this case, the heatwave) without impacting care for existing patients.
Activation of the plan can cancel outpatient appointments at affected hospitals, as resources are freed up for the expected casualties relating to the national emergency.
The move by hospitals comes after Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced that the national ‘ORSAN’ (organisation de la réponse sanitaire) level would be heightened to level 2 out of 4 due to the current heatwave.
There are five types of ‘ORSAN’ plans related to these emergency levels, with heatwaves falling under the ‘ORSAN CLIM’ that prepares hospitals for patients relating to a weather or pollution event (extreme cold, heatwave, etc).
The current level 2 plan “will make it possible to strengthen medical coordination capabilities, mobilise the staff needed for hospital operations, ensure full coordination between community-based care, hospitals, private clinics, and nursing homes, and adjust activities should the situation require it,” said the prime minister in a post on social media site X.
Face à la forte sollicitation des services d’urgence et des SAMU liée à la vague de chaleur, en concertation avec @stephanie_rist, nous activons le plan ORSAN de niveau 2.
Cette décision permettra de renforcer les capacités de régulation médicale, de mobiliser les personnels…
The issuing of a plan blanc is made by local health authorities, and not all hospitals activate the plan at the same time. Check local media to see if a hospital near you has enacted a plan.
As of June 24, hospitals including CHU Angers, CHU Cholet, and La Rochelle and Rochefort hospitals have enacted such plans.
Health minister Stéphanie Rist announced on Tuesday (June 24) that there had been a slight increase in emergency room visits at a national level, due to the heatwave.
Currently, only three deaths have been attributed to the heatwave, although 40 drowning deaths have been recorded since June 18, with many people swimming in waterways and the sea in an attempt to escape the heat.
What does the plan blanc entail?
Once a hospital announces that it has enacted its plan blanc, a crisis team is formed to quickly configure the implementation of measures.
Major changes include the cancellation of certain surgeries or operations.
The health minister confirmed today that “there are some targeted postponements of non-urgent procedures… but no mass cancellations of procedures at a national level.”
At CHU Angers for example, non-urgent, non-cancer adult operations have been postponed until at least June 29 to free up resources for heatwave-related care.
Patients with an appointment scheduled at any hospital in the coming days can check if it has been impacted, but are being advised not to cancel the appointment of their own volition – they will be informed if the hospital needs to cancel it and should not take the matter into their own hands.
The plan blanc also allows for some patients to be discharged early and for additional staff to be mobilised, with off-duty staff called in to work additional hours.
Mobilisation is largely aimed at increasing emergency room capacity, and making some wards operate 24/7 in order to temporarily accommodate patients.
Some hospitals such as CHU Angers are altering their setup by closing rooms in wards most impacted by the heat and opening beds in cooler areas.
While the plan blanc lasts, additional resources are deployed for helping family members of affected victims, as well as press services access hospitals without impacting care.
