Public hospitals are seeing a slight improvement in recruitment, but the French Hospital Federation (FHF) insists on the need for continued financial support. The FHF, which represents public hospitals and nursing homes, said there are "positive signs" in recruitment, particularly through efforts to improve pay for healthcare workers, although challenges persist.
In June 2023, the rate of vacant nursing positions in FHF establishments was 4.98%, down from 5.7% in April 2022. However, nursing homes continue to face a high rate of 12.22%.
Despite these improvements, the FHF emphasizes that tensions and temporary closures remain due to lack of staff. In addition, the financial situation of public hospitals and nursing homes remains worrying, with a cumulative deficit forecast of around one billion euros for 2022, which is almost double the structural deficit before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thus, the FHF is calling for a significant increase in public funding in the next social security budget, including a catch-up of 3 billion euros for 2023 and an additional increase of 4.9 billion euros for 2024. This measure aims to support public hospitals and ensure that announced salary measures do not compromise essential investments in health care.
Frank Verain
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