President backs down on hospitals

HOSPITAL directors will not become “absolute despots” under forthcoming health sector reforms, President Sarkozy has insisted.

The president has spoken out to calm fears of opponents to the Hôpital, Patients, Santé, Territoires law, which is meant to make hospital bosses more autonomous and is intended to improve efficiency in the health service.

The president favours suggestions in a new report by a leading doctor, Jacques Marescaux, which proposes that university hospitals (CHUs) be lead by not one director but a panel of three.

The president added that “no one is saying hospitals are going to become businesses,” answering medical unions concerns that the new law includes some “private sector-style” elements like measures to give extra funds to those hospitals which are best-run.

“We are far from wanting that, nobody is thinking along those lines,” Sarkozy said.

CGT-Santé union spokesman Christopher Prudhomme said: “We are seeing continual contradictions – a few months ago Sarkozy said we needed an all-powerful hospital boss, now he says we need decisions to be made jointly.

“It is not serious to reform the CHUs, the backbone of our health system, by way of amendments to a law which is already being discussed and is strongly contested.”

The president’s comments come as opponents prepare a day of protests on May 14.

The bill, which was adopted by the National Assembly in March, is being debated in the Senate from today.