Patients in France face delays of over five months to see specialists
New survey reveals large variations in waiting times between different departments
The new survey details the availability of different medical specialists across the country
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Patients are facing waiting times to see specialists of more than five months in some French departments, a new survey has revealed.
The study published earlier this month showed that patients in need of cardiology appointments faced the longest delays, with average wait times of 42 days across France.
However, the survey showed large geographical variations with cardiology patients in Paris having to wait on average only 16 days, while those living in Gers experienced delays of 164 days, equivalent to over five months.
The difference was even starker for ophthalmology appointments (concerning the eye), with waiting times in Gers averaging 153 days compared to 5 days in Seine-Saint-Denis, a ratio of 30 to 1.
The study, titled Les Cartes de France de l’accès aux soins 2026 (The Maps of Healthcare Access in France 2026)*, and carried out by leading online healthcare booking platform, Doctolib, was published on May 19 and details the availability of different medical specialists across the country.
The following ten professions were studied:
|
Profession
|
Number of libérale professionals per 100,000 people
|
Median waiting time (days)
|
Evolution from 2023 to 2025 (days)
|
Percentage of appointments obtained in under 48 hours
|
|
| Cardiologists | 7.6 | 42 | +1 | 8% | |
| Dermatologists | 3.6 | 32 | -3 | 12% | |
| Ophtalmologists | 6.5 | 21 | -4 | 14% | |
| Gynaecologists | 15.1 | 19 | -2 | 14% | |
| Psychiatrists | 9.4 | 15 | +1 | 14% | |
| Midwives | 25 | 12 | +1 | 16% | |
| Dental surgeons | 57 | 10 | -1 | 21% | |
| Paediatricians | 23.6 | 8 | +1 | 37% | |
| Physiotherapists | 128 | 6 | 0 | 23% | |
| GPs | 82 | 3 | 0 | 39% | |
The table shows that cardiology (concerning the heart) and dermatology (concerning the skin) appointments have the longest median waiting times, as was already the case in 2023.
However, a mobile dermatology clinic called Mobil’Derm recently launched in certain departments to tackle France’s lack of skin specialists.
Despite a growing number of telemedicine solutions, this alternative treatment remains largely underutilised, accounting for less than 3% of medical appointments (except for those seeking psychiatrists and GPs).
It is also interesting to note that waiting times are increasing for midwife appointments despite an 8% rise in staff numbers.
Waiting times are also rising in paediatrics (concerning children under 15 years), and the proportion of urgent non-routine appointments secured within 48 hours is falling.
Note that the median waiting times indicated in this table only reflect medical appointments that actually went ahead, and therefore do not include patients who were unable to find an available slot.
For this reason, Doctolib also conducted a patient survey to gain a better understanding of this ‘hidden’ demand.
Patient survey results
The survey section of the study showed that over the last year, 23% of patients have visited A&E because no appointments were available, while 20% avoided doing so because they were able to book an appointment online.
This illustrates the role of digital technology in today’s healthcare system, with patients also increasingly turning towards AI.
Some 45% of patients use AI chatbots for health-related queries - rising to 75% 18–24-year-olds and falling to 13% for those aged 75 and over.
The survey also revealed that 25% of users report having more urgently consulted a healthcare professional after using AI, while 18% have decided against seeking care as a result of using it.
Earlier survey found similar results
The problem of delays in seeing specialists was supported in another survey published in March by the Fédération Hospitalière de France (FHF).
This other survey showed dermatologists topping the list of delays, with an average wait of four and a half months.
Cardiologists were second, with an average of three months and two days for an appointment, according to responses from 2,500 people surveyed in February 2026 by research firm Ipsos BVA.
Zaynab Riet, head of the FHF, said the findings supported the idea that people want politicians to take action to improve health services.
“We need to realise that, hidden in the decline of people’s ability to access healthcare, is a risk to our democracy,” she said.
Medical ‘deserts’ persist in France
According to the Doctolib survey, the Île-de-France region continues to have the shortest waiting times for almost all medical specialists across the country.
As of January 1, 2026, there were 245,847 doctors in active practice, including general practitioners and specialists, up 1.9% on the previous year (241,255). This amounts to a 14% increase since 2010, when there were 215,663 doctors.
Despite this, the geographic spread of doctors remains uneven, contributing to the continuing issue of so-called ‘medical deserts’.
The Doctolib study suggests that when tackling the lack of healthcare professionals, the geographical distribution of each medical specialism should be taken into account.
*The study is based on more than 230 million consultations carried out in 2025, drawing on insights from healthcare professionals and input from nearly 8,000 patients surveyed across France.
