Information on French healthcare
Doctors and dentists here have their own practices (they earn a fraction of what practitioners earn in the UK), and you can go and see them without appointment. They will also make home visits, and because they are paid per visit, they will keep coming back if you want them to. French doctors will spend far more time on consultations than you will perhaps be used to, often at least half an hour. You will not be rushed.
Doctors have to have a knowledge of English because of the many papers they have to read in English, but their understanding of spoken English and ability to express themselves may be limited. We will always come with you to the doctors, chemist or hospital if you need us to.
Prescriptions lend weight to the fact that, per capita, the French consume more drugs than any other European country. There will usually be several items, often pessaries, and frequently pain killers. You will need to go to a chemist called a pharmacie to get your drugs. These mostly have a bright green cross outside, more often than not flashing. If you see the doctor out of hours or on a Sunday, he may have enough drugs to keep you going until the morning. Otherwise you will need to find a pharmacie de garde which is what the late night chemists are called. They are noted in the local papers, on the chemist's doors in the town, and the doctor should know who is open. The local Commissariat de Police will tell you where the nearest one is, and will also know the address of the duty doctor.
You will have to pay the doctor for the consultation, expect about €22 at his surgery, and around €50 for a home visit. Although the UK has a reciprocal agreement with France, you have to pay first and get back your costs later. As rule, like French citizens, you only get 75% back.
Whenever you leave your own country it is always wise to ensure you have adequate medical insurance.
If you are hospitalized and start to run up significant bills, the hospital will carefully check to ensure that you or your insurance company can pay them.
Ambulance services are different from the UK. The fire service called pompiers are not only the fire service, but the ambulance service as well. The service is very efficient in that paramedics in the ambulance will assess a patients condition and the ambulance will then be directed to whichever specialist unit is best equipped to treat him.
Telephone numbers for the French emergency services are:
Please note that if you are calling from a mobile phone you should dial the Single European emergency call number of 112.
Medical - Samu 15
Police - Gendarme 17
Fire - Pompier 18
Sea or Lake Rescue 1616
Child Abuse Hotline 119
Homeless Hotline 115
Drugs & Alcohol Hotline 113
Single European emergency call number 112
USEFUL PHRASES
I need an ambulance:
J'ai besoin d'une ambulance OR Il me faut une ambulance.
I've had a heart attack:
J'ai eu une crise cardiaque.
My husband/my wife has had a heart attack:
Mon mari/ma femme a eu une crise cardiaque.
My son/my daughter is no longer breathing (has stopped breathing):
Mon fils/Ma fille ne respire plus.
My husband/my wife is no longer breathing:
Mon mari/ma femme ne respire plus.
Two experiences, when children needed hospital treatment in 2007 showed how superb the emergency services and the French hospital system are.
In the first case, a young family on their way to us were involved in road traffic accident. Police, fire and ambulance crews were on the scene within minutes. A16 year old girl was suspected of having back injuries, and was taken from their car on a inflatable back board. Her father, the driver, is a fireman at home and he said the response and efficiency of the emergency services was at least as good as any in the UK, if not better. The emergency service's equipment he said, was far superior to that in the UK. Other members of the family suffered superficial injuries. All were taken by ambulance to Lisieux hospital, and were thoroughly examined and X-rayed before being discharged that evening. The English family were not to blame for the accident, and the police went to great lengths to ensure the French driver was prosecuted, and show the English family how they could claim compensation.
In the second case, twin 3 year old boys, had both eaten a spread they hadn't eaten before. The one child was fine but the other developed angry weals which were spreading. We took him to Lisieux hospital, and were immediately sent to the paediatric ward. Within minutes he was assessed by a junior doctor, and immediately seen by a consultant. He was treated and discharged in under an hour. The bill when it did arrive months later was for 56 Euros, then about £40. |
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