French MPs vote in favour of renewed recognition of UK medical degrees
Post-Brexit rules mean UK degree holders have been limited in their ability to work in France
Around 19,000 medical practitioners in France have degrees that are not recognised by the state
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French MPs have voted unanimously in favour of a bill that would see pre-Brexit UK medical degrees recognised once more in France.
The motion, brought forward by centrist MP Vincent Caure, was backed by 52 MPs from across the political spectrum on Monday (February 16).
It seeks to provide full recognition for UK medical degrees earned before Brexit at their French equivalent level, allowing those with the qualifications to be more easily employed in the French healthcare system.
MPs point towards the bill helping to alleviate some staff shortages, although highlight that the rule change would affect only a minority of practitioners.
The bill, already approved by the Assemblée nationale’s Social Affairs Committee last year, must now pass further readings.
Pre-Brexit degrees no longer recognised in France
When the UK was part of the EU, British medical degrees earned or started in the UK were accepted across the bloc, allowing medical experts to use their qualifications for employment in other member states.
Following Brexit however, UK medical degrees – alongside several others – have not been officially recognised nor accepted as equivalent to EU counterparts.
This also retroactively applied to UK degrees earned prior to Brexit, when the UK remained part of the EU.
For professions that are regulated, including medical fields, this has seen degree holders face two choices in order to be employed in France: either go through a series of complex procedures for their degrees to be recognised, or face having to re-obtain French or EU versions of the qualification to continue to be able to work in the field.
Medical professionals facing this situation in France are known as Padhue (Praticien à diplôme hors Union européenne en France) and face limitations on their work.
MPs called the limitations on UK degree holders “absurd” during the debates.
“How could they have anticipated that, a few years later, their degrees would no longer be recognised in the European Union?” said Mr Caure.
“Conversely, and this is the height of absurdity, the United Kingdom continues to welcome doctors who graduated from European universities.”
Mr Caure believes France is lagging behind in resolving the issue.
“Other European member states have implemented specific procedures only for doctors trained in the United Kingdom. France would thus be the only country depriving itself of these doctors, trained in the United Kingdom,” he added.
“This is in no way about circumventing quality requirements; these practitioners have undergone recognised training with high standards,” said Sarthe MP Éric Martineau in support of the motion.
Only 100 doctors impacted
The bill received support as it is perceived to help increase healthcare resources in France.
“It will provide a solution for some citizens [who have difficulty accessing healthcare] and for that reason alone, it deserves to be passed,” said Horizons MP Loïc Kervran.
At the same time, several MPs raised concerns over how impactful the law would be.
By limiting the bill to holders of British degrees obtained prior to Brexit, only around 100 of the 19,000 ’Padhue’ in France are affected, said La France Insoumise MP Hadrien Clouet.
He called for the bill to be expanded to apply to all medical degree holders from outside the EU.
“We are only addressing part of the difficulties faced by foreign doctors,” said Socialist MP Sophie Pantel.
“We are only scratching the surface of the overall issue of foreign doctors,” added MP Joël Bruneau, member of the LIOT (Libertés, indépendants, outre-mer & territoires) party.
“We have a system that is truly outdated, that doesn’t allow us to recruit qualified doctors from outside the EU,” said Mr Kervran.
For his part, far-right Rassemblement National MP Christophe Bentz called for French citizen doctors trained outside of the EU to also have an easier pathway for degree recognition in France.
Government authorities pointed towards incoming changes to exams for Padhue to have their qualifications recognised in France – which will be simplified for those already working in the healthcare system – but said further legislative change needed to be passed by MPs to allow more doctors to practise.
