Hospital psychiatrists are mobilizing against the “decay” of the field

“Absence of Crying” hospital beds, “regular closures” Medical and psychological centers due to lack of sufficient personnel. hospital psychiatrists are invited to mobilize on Tuesday, November 29 “decay” a victim of the public sector “abandonment” state according to their unions.

Four organizations call for strikes and demonstrations, especially in Paris at 11 in the morning, in front of the Ministry of Health. Rallies are announced in other cities, in front of regional health agencies (ARS) or hospitals. These unions condemn A “Abandoning public psychiatry”. WHO “Everyday is characterized by a glaring lack of full hospital beds and the regular closure of medical-psychological centers (MCPs).”. A situation involving a shortage of doctors and nurses which “Five out of six hospitals affected today”it is said in the inter-union press release.

“We no longer have the ability to act as we would like”, laments Dr. Norbert Skurnik, president of the Intersyndicale for the Defense of Public Psychiatry (Idepp). According to this psychiatrist, due to lack of admission. “In Ile-de-France alone, between 60 and 70,000 people, of whom at least 60% are mentally ill, wander outside any institution and any home.” in the context of “hardening” working conditions, the profession no longer attracts young doctors, laments Dr. Skurnik, citing the number of 100 interns to be distributed in the Paris region. “where 150 will be required”. To boost recruitment, this union official advocates the increase “20 to 25%” salaries of hospital psychiatrists in the form of severity bonuses.

“One small step”.

Fourteen months after the presentation, the program announced by Emmanuel Macron after the psychiatry assizes, with the creation of 800 positions in the PKP, is considered insufficient by the profession. “It’s just a small step.”, emphasizes Dr. Rachel Bocher, President of the Inter-National Syndicate of Hospital Physiologists (INPH). This psychiatrist also fights in favor“Career Attraction Program”. Organizer of the symposium “Cities and Mental Health” He hopes to welcome Health Minister Francois Brown in Nantes from Thursday to Saturday. “There is a need for public authorities to resume social dialogue with psychiatrists”he insists.

In mid-November, the minister admitted this before the Senate “Psychiatric staff work in difficult conditions”.and promised that a report would be made “very soon” Meetings organized in September 2021.