“I have seen the figures evolve negatively for years and, beyond the seriousness of the facts, from an individual point of view, I am worried about collective access to care since the number of doctors is decreasing from week to week. week,” laments Cyrille Chaugne, general practitioner and president of SOS Médecins in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne), as well as elected to the Regional Union of Health Professionals (URPS) of Occitanie.
In February, the body carried out an inventory of 441 private doctors in the region.
It reveals that nearly 95% of the private doctors questioned say they have had to “manage” situations of violence.
The majority of private doctors in the region who responded to this survey are women and work in group practices in semi-rural areas.
75.9% of doctors have already been victims of violence over the last three years, including 30% several times a year.
310 of them have suffered attacks on their person: verbal, physical or psychological violence.
Home care gradually abandoned
The medical desert and the distress of patients are highlighted by professionals.
“This is part of the reality of daily exercise, even in rural areas,” assures Cyrille Chaugne, who himself has already been attacked during a night visit to a home in the center of Toulouse.
Patients have difficulty accessing care so when we arrive, they are already upset but that does not justify being aggressive or violent.
Doctors end their careers without a successor, which accentuates the problem.
We must protect care.”
The consequences of this violence show that 12.6% of doctors have decided to reduce or stop on-call hours and 10.3% no longer provide home consultations.
Also read: Occitanie: an application to help doctors in the event of an attack
The study also reveals the lack of legal sanctions and the difficulty affected doctors have in filing complaints.
Only 18% push through the door of the police station.
Often, their complaints are dismissed or doctors are not kept informed of the proceedings initiated.
“I happened to call the police for a colleague who was attacked but no one came,” laments Cyrille Chaugne.
When I myself was attacked, I filed a complaint at the police station and then I was summoned to court but the attacker was not present.
The judgment was postponed and I haven't heard anything since.
To support doctors, a legal representative is needed for monitoring, which is provided for by law but is not applied.”
The Regional Union of Health Professionals also notes that hospital doctors who are victims of violence are better supported by the judicial authorities since it is an aggravating circumstance for the attacker.
The body denounces a double standard and calls for better protection of private doctors by the authorities.