A GP shares his insider secrets.
Difficulties in accessing healthcare are still relevant in France. In 2024, you will have to wait on average 10 days to get an appointment with a general practitioner, according to an Ipsos survey for the French Hospital Federation. And it’s sometimes worse in rural areas. To maximize his chances of securing a slot, Dr Tim Mercer, a well-known GP on social media shared “his insider secrets“.
Of course, there is always the solution of queuing in front of the office 30 minutes before opening. “The success rate seems pretty high, but it’s not always feasible or practical. And it’s always annoying to get stuck in a queue to talk to your doctor” warns him Dr. Tim Mercer before offering other alternatives on his TikTok account. His first suggestion is to use video medical consultations if the situation allows. Generally, doctors offer slots very early in the morning. “I, for example, make slots available from 6 a.m.“. Also think about pharmacy teleconsultation which offers a good alternative in the event of difficulty obtaining a consultation with a general practitioner at the office.
“Even if it doesn’t always work“, the doctor’s favorite tip is to call the secretariat of the medical office and ask to be called back if an appointment becomes available during the day. Every week, 6% to 10% of patients do not show up for their appointment. appointment, which corresponds to a loss of consultation time of almost two hours per week for the doctor whatever the discipline and, by extrapolation, nearly 27 million appointments not honored per year, deplore the National Council of the Order of Physicians and the National Academy of Medicine in a 2023 press release.
Please note that many healthcare structures, including health homes, offer consultations without an appointment during the week or at weekends. The health agencies of each region (ARS) provide an interactive map on their sites listing all the places for consultation without appointment.