GP consultation fee rises to €23

THE COST of seeing a doctor will rise by €1 at the end of this year, the government has confirmed.

Nicolas Sarkozy has set a date of January 1 for the increase, which will cost the social security system an extra €250m a year.

GPs have been campaigning for the new €23 fee, which unions say was promised in 2007 but never delivered.

Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot told BFM TV that the new fee had not been possible until now "because of the financial crisis" but that it would now be introduced "as quick as possible".

A number of GPs are charging the €23 rate already in protest at a lack of funds - although this has been ruled illegal by France's highest court, the Cour de Cassation.

The two main GPs' unions, MG France and the CSMF, have nonetheless urged members to continuing charging the higher rate between now and January.

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