A return to figures similar to the period before Covid-19. As announced by the Drees (Directorate of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics) in a press release published this Thursday, December 12, visits to emergency rooms are currently higher than before the coronavirus health crisis in a quarter of the French departments.
According to this document, based on a study that analyzes emergency visits between 2013 and 2023, after an explosion of emergency visits between 1996 and 2019 (from 10.1 million to 22 million annually), this progression slowed down from 2016. before falling to 18.1. million in 2020 due to the health crisis. This decline was especially marked during the various confinements.
However, starting in May 2021, it is worth noting a gradual return to the pre-crisis level and, after a new rebound in 2022, tickets decreased in 2023 to return to a level close to that of 2017 (20.9 million). , as is known.
Disparities
Furthermore, this increase must be qualified by a diversity of situations at the department level and by a number of patients that sometimes varies extremely from one day to the next.
In fact, emergency visits in 2022 and 2023 are higher than those of the 2017-2019 period in a quarter of the departments and sometimes in each month of these two years (in Gard, Haute-Garonne and Haute-Garonne).
“In Ain, Ille y Vilaine and Lot, they are higher than this reference for more than 21 of the 24 months of this period. Some departments such as Pas-de-Calais and Lozère occasionally recorded increases of over 20%. in some months of 2023 compared to the pre-crisis level”, explained in the Drees press release.
In addition, Monday is the busiest day in 92 departments with daily activity 11% higher than other days. Certain departments of the Alps, Corsica, the Atlantic and Mediterranean coasts, as well as Île-de-France present this very marked seasonality.
Crisis
Finally, it is also noted that these increases are due to the serious crisis that the hospital world and emergency services have been experiencing for many years. Between March 13 and June 13, 2023, 8% of emergency reception points closed temporarily and 23% established regulated access, permanently or during certain time slots.
“The closure of at least one emergency reception point affected 35 departments, but in more than three quarters of these cases, the closed services represented less than 18% of departmental visits in 2022,” it is further noted.
During a speech in April 2023, the first since his government enacted pension reform, Emmanuel Macron promised to unclog emergency services by the end of 2024. An ambitious announcement that many caregivers had considered “impossible” .
Source: BFM TV
