Finding a general practitioner, getting an appointment with a specialist, or accessing emergency care within a reasonable timeframe has become a real ordeal for millions of French people. By 2026, the shortage of medical professionals in rural areas will continue to worsen, now affecting not only rural areas but also many medium-sized towns and some suburban neighborhoods. According to the latest estimates, nearly nine million people live in areas with insufficient healthcare services. The aging of the medical workforce, numerous retirements, and difficulties in attracting young practitioners are exacerbating an already worrying situation.
General practitioners remain the most difficult to replace. In several regions, waiting times for appointments now exceed several weeks, while some towns are without a family doctor. Specialties such as ophthalmology, psychiatry, gynecology, and dermatology are also experiencing severe shortages, with waiting times reaching several months. This scarcity of healthcare services is leading many patients to forgo certain examinations or turn to emergency services, which are already severely overcrowded.
Teleconsultations, health centers: solutions that are still insufficient
Faced with this crisis, public authorities are implementing a range of measures to try to rebalance access to healthcare. The development of multidisciplinary health centers, financial incentives for setting up practices, increased use of advanced practice nurses and medical assistants, and the rise of teleconsultations are among the main responses being implemented. While these measures improve care in some areas, they are still struggling to compensate for the structural shortage of healthcare professionals.
Projections remain worrying for the coming years. Even though the number of medical students is gradually increasing thanks to the reform of medical studies, its effects will only be fully visible in the medium term. Until then, the shortage of doctors in certain areas is expected to continue to hinder access to care, exacerbating territorial and social inequalities. For many local elected officials, as well as for healthcare professionals, a more ambitious strategy will be necessary to guarantee equitable access to care throughout France.
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