GP consultations could rise to €23

Health minister Roselyne Bachelot has said she supports increasing the price of a visit to the doctor, on the condition they are more restrained with their prescriptions.

Her comments come as the health ministry is preparing a budget to save three billion euros and balance its books.

The president of the GPs union MG France, Martial Olivier-Koehret, said it was unfair to single them out.

“I’m surprised at what the minister has said about prescribing drugs, especially as nothing has been asked of specialists, whose prescriptions have risen considerably,” he said.

“Putting pressure on us will not reduce the deficit of the health service. Since 2006 the number of treatments carried out by GPs has dropped, even while the demand for healthcare has not stopped rising. One of the reasons for this is the bypassing of GPs with people heading to specialists and to hospital,” said Mr Olivier-Koehret in an interview in Le Figaro.

Photo: Besoindair