Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau will give a boost to medical regulation assistants (who respond to the "15"), currently on strike, including an increase of 100 euros in a monthly bonus, he said Thursday. "I will shortly announce an increase of 100 euros per month in their specific premium related to their medical regulatory function," said the minister invited by franceinfo ahead of a visit to the Samu du Val-de-Marne, at the Henri-Mondor Hospital in Créteil. The minister will also give them faster progression within the salary grid on which they depend.
The National Union of Medical Regulation Assistants (Unarm) and the French Association of Medical Regulation Assistants (Afarm) launched a strike movement in July to demand hiring and a salary increase. The service is not disturbed by this strike still in progress, the employees declaring themselves strikers being immediately assigned to their posts.
A chronically understaffed profession
According to its representatives, the profession suffers from chronic understaffing, aggravated by the new missions given to the "15" to relieve congestion in emergency services. Patients are increasingly encouraged to call 15 before going to the hospital, so that they can be referred to another solution, city doctor or other. For some hospitals, calling 15 is even mandatory before being admitted to the emergency room.
The associations are demanding a bonus of 120 euros, and a reform of their salary scale. A medical regulation assistant receives about 1,800 euros gross at the beginning of his career. The associations also estimate that there is a shortage of between 800 and 1,200 medical assistants in France, with a current staff of about 2,500.
