French healthcare regulatory and access challenges

France is undergoing regulatory changes and facing systemic challenges within its healthcare system. Initial developments focused on modernizing the Medical Code of Ethics to address digital health, artificial intelligence, and patient rights, alongside a mandatory six-year physician certification cycle. During this period, influenza vaccination rates for citizens aged 65 and older reached 53.7%, missing the government target of 75%.

The situation has evolved into a crisis regarding medical access, with an estimated 6.3 to 6.4 million citizens lacking a designated primary care physician. To address these shortages, the Cour des comptes recommended that general practitioners maintain a minimum threshold of at least 500 patients, a move intended to integrate millions more into the coordinated care system. This proposal has faced criticism from medical unions such as the UFML-S.

Additionally, the government has attempted to manage access through a circular from Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, instructing prefects to create directories of doctors willing to accept new patients. This initiative, aimed at assisting police officers and their families, has been criticized by medical professionals as a preferential ‘fast-track’ for law enforcement during a national shortage.