French health agencies urge proper use of emergency services this summer

The French regional health agencies (ARS) of Auvergne‑Rhône‑Alpes and Provence‑Alpes‑Côte d’Azur have launched a joint campaign urging the public to reserve hospital emergency departments for the most serious cases. They advise patients to first contact their general practitioner, pharmacist, or a walk‑in clinic, and to call the emergency number 15 (or 114 for the deaf‑mute) before going to the emergency room. The Service d’accès aux soins (SAS) will triage calls and either direct patients to immediate emergency care or arrange a same‑day or next‑day appointment with a city‑based doctor.

During the summer holidays and heat‑wave periods, emergency units face heightened demand, risking saturation and longer waits for critical patients. To mitigate this, the agencies are bolstering ambulatory care, on‑call medical houses, and a communication campaign to spread the message that non‑urgent cases should be managed outside the emergency department. The overall goal is to protect rapid access to care for those with life‑threatening conditions while maintaining the functioning of the emergency system throughout the peak season.