More than 15M French people have trouble seeing a general practitioner: Study

Medical care in France is in a "deplorable state," with many areas facing "medical desertification," and more than 15 million French people have difficulty seeing a general practitioner, said a French consumer watchdog group in a report released Tuesday.

In its study, UFC-Que Choisir created an interactive map of "health gaps" for general practitioners, but also for three other specialties designated as "direct access," i.e., where an appointment is not dependent on prior consultation with a general practitioner: pediatricians, gynecologists, and ophthalmologists.

"Access to a general practitioner, which is the backbone of the healthcare system in France, is particularly difficult for no less than 15.3 million inhabitants of our country," the group wrote.

This figure is far higher than that given by the French Health Ministry, which in 2018 estimated the number of French people living in an area underserved by general practitioners at between 3.7 million and 7.4 million, or less than half of UFC-Que Choisir's 15.3 million.

The group added: "A quarter of women and a quarter of children live in a gynecological medical desert and a pediatric medical desert, respectively."

In its study, the group questioned the policies implemented by the public sector over the past 15 years to encourage physicians to set up shop. It called on lawmakers to stop allowing physicians to set up shop in overserved areas.