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Risk of French GP's Striking Over Busy Winter Period

Strikes proposed for 24th - 31st December, with possible dates into the New Year

featured in News & reviews Author Pam Williamson, Meribel Editor Updated

If you are holidaying in France this festive season the you might want to load up on those vitamin C tablets, take your echinacea and do your best not to fall sick over Christmas!

Where ever you are in France you should be aware that the local doctors' surgery may well be closed as GPs are being urged by unions to close surgeries over the Christmas period in protest against a new government health bill. The French doctors union UNOF-CSMF is suggesting a strike between December 24th and 31st, and MG France has called for a further strike on January 6th, traditionally a public holiday.

The French are regarded as a health conscious nation so perhaps it's no surprise that they worry about their physical well-being more than anything else, including their work or financial situation. A new survey published this month revealed that more than 8 out of 10 French people are concerned about health issues. So struggling to get a doctor’s appointment over the Christmas period will be one more worry to add to the list!

In the new bill which was presented last Saturday by French Health Minister Marisol Touraine, a raft of measures were announced, some targeting smoking, binge drinking, digitising doctors' records and some controversial measures that will directly affect GP's. These include the capping of consultation fees which have stayed at €23 since 2011, which the union describes as “unworthy of the required skills and insufficient”. Under the new law, pharmacists would also be given the authority to carry out certain vaccinations on patients.

In a statement, the union said that it was all “just too much”, doctors were “exasperated” and “it’s the essentials of the job that are being undermined”. The union is now asking the government to open negotiations.

If you are on holiday in France over Christmas and are in need of urgent care then you should be aware that you will have to make use of out-of-hours services, as would be normal for evenings and on the weekends.

For information on healthcare & emergencies in France, how to use your EHIC card, please see our Health & Emergencies page.