6 months of waiting for an appointment with the dermatologist. Increasingly long delays, especially if you are a new patient…
Waiting times for an appointment with a dermatologist are now more than 3 months (103 days), almost three times longer than in 2012 (41 days). Nearly one in two French people have already given up on treatment from this specialist at least once in their life, for reasons of delays, availability of the professional or geographical distance. “There are fewer and fewer of us in France and the demand for care continues to increase. Dermatologists who retire are not replaced” comments Dr Anne Bellut, dermatologist and venereologist in Neuves-Maisons (54) and general secretary of the National Union of Dermatologists and Venereologists. According to the National Order of Physicians, there are currently 2981 dermatologists in France (for 68 million inhabitants). Concerning the number of intern places in 2023/2024, it amounted to 113 compared to 103 the previous year. To become a dermatologist, you must complete medical training for 6 years after obtaining a scientific baccalaureate. The specialization in dermatology lasts 4 to 5 years (i.e. a bac+10 or +11).
The dermatologist is a doctor specializing in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the skin, hair, nails and mucous membranes. “We are able to manage chronic inflammatory pathologies such as psoriasis, eczema, autoimmune diseases affecting the skin such as lupus, as well as skin cancers such as melanoma or carcinomas,” explains Dr Anne Bellut. But even for patients with skin conditions, finding a dermatologist who accepts new patients remains an obstacle course. In a Sanofi study carried out with the IFOP in 2023 on “The French face skin diseases and eczema”, 73% considered it difficult to access care provided by dermatologists (72% have skin problems in general and 65% suffer from eczema).
“The National Union of Dermatologists and Venereologists is opposed to the attitude of not receiving new patients”
According to Dr. Bellut, “it is necessary to establish collaboration within the territories, firstly with our general practitioner colleagues and to delegate certain tasks that do not require our expertise, thus allowing us to refocus on our core business. The attending physician is a powerful ally , providing first recourse and assessing the urgency and/or necessity of a consultation with a dermatologist. For many of us, we have established rules for the treatment process with our colleagues, reserving time slots for. emergencies at the explicit request of the general practitioner This allows consultations to be prioritized, and consultations to be offered within appropriate time frames.” To find a dermatologist who agrees to take on new patients, you can try:
- to look for an appointment in the Paris region rather than in the Province
- to contact health centers that may have dermatologists on certain days of the week
- to ask the attending physician for a letter of recommendation to a dermatologist
- to turn to other professionals depending on the care: “Procedures such as suture removal can be carried out by nurses, freeing up medical time.” indicates for example our interlocutor.
- to regularly check online appointment platforms (Doctolib, Maiia, etc.) to see if there are any cancellations
“Modern tools, such as tele-expertise, can facilitate and enhance this journey. Of course, this requires upstream coordination and training work which we are keen to promote and implement” adds the specialist who recalls that “The National Union of Dermatologists and Venereologists is opposed to the attitude of not receiving new patients. It is their need for care which must decide the need for a consultation. Access on the advice of the attending physician constitutes a gateway.”