According to the results of a survey by the Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics Department (Drees) conducted in 2022 among more than 1,500 general practitioners, 65% refuse to become the attending physician new patients. This figure has exploded since 2019, the increase is 12 points. Even more worrying, this figure even climbs to 88% among some doctors. This refusal does not concern patients who have come for an occasional consultation. Moreover, on this specific point, the figures are even up compared to 2019.

Many patients also face an obstacle course in finding specialists. In fact, 87% of general practitioners point to difficulties in directing their patients to specialist colleagues. Here too, this figure has increased sharply since 2019. In addition, 78% of general practitioners believe that there are not enough of them in their area of ​​practice. “This development is mainly linked to the marked increase in the proportion of doctors who consider the supply to be very insufficient: it rose from 22% in 2019 to 34% in 2022”, reports the Drees.

Another learning from this survey is that the proportion of doctors who have to monitor some of their patients less regularly has increased from 40% in 2019 to 44% in 2022. “It is more doctors under 50, those who have a volume of high activity, who exercise in a group or even those who have to face the greatest difficulties of medical demography who adapt their practices more”, notes the DREES.