Doctors strike

[Nomoss]

Our cabinet seems a bit lacking where the receptionist is concerned, it seems to be a bit hit and miss whether or not you get an answer, when phoning.

Our cabinet has one part-time receptionist who turns off the phone at intervals, usually for an hour or so before and after noon, so she can get her other work done.

However, we can use Doctolib to make appointments, and if one of us goes there with an urgent problem one of the doctors on duty will see us quite promptly or call by the house if necessary.

[MAD87]

My daughter has been trying to recruit an extra nephrologist for her dialysis centre for years - any nationality - but no one seems to want to be a kidney specialist these days (too hard, hours too long, patients too ill) so she and her 3 colleagues have to work even more - how much more than 60-70 hours / week can you work with seriously sick patients? Same applies with nurses, hence all the Spanish recruits in southerrn France.

But what is she paying compared to other places? Is it a competitive package?

The Limoges centre is not the only one struggling - when I said "here",I meant in France. Part of the problem is that when doctors graduate, they're allowed to pick and choose which discipline they want to practise in, so there's a surfeit of psychiatrists and dermatologists (nice civilised hours with few emergencies). There's also a dire shortage of anaesthetists and obstetricians, due to heavy insurance costs.
As for GPs, the main problem (still) is that Paris, Toulouse and Bordeaux still attract them but rural areas struggle to compete.

[niemeyjt]

By "other places" I meant outside France. My consultant neurologist is French, for example.

As I said before, in France and the UK, medics are mobile to other places with better packages and lifestyles.

[Hotrodder]

My doctor was recommended by a friend shortly after I arrived in France 23 years ago. A real treasure, with a great sense of humour. Never any rush during a visit as his surgery was never that busy. I was told he was unpopular locally because of some scandal with a married woman in the town. They mostly attended another bureau not far away. Terrific experience until about 18 months ago. Couldn't get through on the phone one day so we drove there to find he was closed. No note on the door, etc. Needed a repeat prescription urgently so went to our usual pharmacist and she gave us one without the ordnance. I asked if she knew why he might be shut and when he might be there she just said he wouldn't be reopening. My heart dropped to hear that. She must have been very aware of our dilemma and suggested the name of a different doc in a different town. Happily he gave us a full ordnance for our stuff and the next time we saw him asked to be signed onto his list. From what I have heard since then we were very lucky. The nearest option for a dentist is three hours drive away. That's not gonna happen.