MAP: Will your part of France be a priority for more doctors?
deserts medicaux
' (medical deserts) where there are severe shortages of healthcare professionals, especially GPs, has inspired many different plans.
The latest one is to
require GPs to do outreach work
in areas with a doctor shortage - and now the government has unveiled a list of the priority areas for this type of help.
On Friday the health ministry unveiled a list of 151 'priority' areas judged to have the worst problems with healthcare access.
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The below map is
from the French health ministry
, but French regional newspaper Ouest France has created an interactive and zoomable version which you can find
here
.
Map of the 151 priority areas for extra doctors. Map: French health ministry
In total around two-thirds of the country has some problems with healthcare access, but these 151 are judged to be the top priority.
These are the areas which will, from September 1st, benefit from the 'solidarity' scheme, in which GPs will be required to do a certain number of days of outreach work per month in designated medical deserts.
They have also been earmarked as priority areas for the first cadre of newly-qualified doctors who have come through medical school since training places were expanded. They will begin to qualify from November 2026.
Yannick Neuder, the minister responsible for access to healthcare, told BFM TV: "With this map, which identifies 151 priority inter-communities for access to healthcare, we're not solving medical deserts, since they affect 87 percent of the country, but it's a first step that will benefit around two million patients.
He said that the list was created due to work 'carried out with local préfets, regional health agencies, local elected representatives and healthcare professionals, to identify particularly badly affected areas."
READ ALSO
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What to do if you live in one of France's 'medical deserts'✎
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