Introduction to the Strike
The strike movement among private doctors and clinics in France has commenced, aiming to protest against what are perceived as coercive measures in the Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS). Despite the usual holiday lull between Christmas and New Year’s, the determination of the private doctors’ unions remains unshaken. All representative unions, including CSMF, MG France, UFML, SML, FMF, and Avenir Spé-Le Bloc, along with other organizations like Jeunes Médecins and Médecins pour demain, are urging their members to join the strike planned for January. The strike is set to take place from January 5 to January 15, with a major demonstration scheduled in Paris on January 10.
Specialists’ Parallel Actions
In parallel, specialist doctors such as surgeons, anesthetists, and gynecologists-obstetricians are organizing the “Operation Brussels,” a temporary four-day relocation to the Belgian capital from January 11 to January 14. This move aims to prevent any requisition of doctors by the authorities. On December 18, just before the Christmas holidays, the specialist unions reiterated their resolve. The stated goal is to create a politically untenable health situation, according to Dr. Philippe Cuq, president of the union Le Bloc. Over 2,000 doctors have already registered for this Belgian exodus.
Initial Victories and Ongoing Concerns
The pressure exerted by the private doctors’ unions has already led to some initial victories. Several contentious measures have been removed from the final version of the PLFSS, which was adopted on December 16. Notably, Article 24, which allowed the CNAM to unilaterally reduce the fees for the most profitable specialties, and Article 26, which proposed increased taxes on fee overruns, have been omitted.
Despite these removals, the unions’ determination remains strong. “We have achieved the abandonment of the surcharge on fee supplements, but the private sector continues to be the adjustment variable for the Social Security deficit,” explains Dr. Didier Legeais, president of the SNCUF, the urologists’ union. The unions are particularly concerned that, given the Social Security deficit projected to reach 19.4 billion euros by 2026, the government might suspend certain fee increases, as it did this year.
Controversial Provisions and Criticisms
In recent days, union criticisms have focused on a relatively unnoticed provision of the PLFSS: Article 31. This article proposes fines of up to 10,000 euros per year for doctors who do not contribute to the shared medical record (DMP), a type of digital medical record hosted on “Mon Espace Santé.” “Imposing obligations or sanctions on doctors without providing them with the appropriate technical means is unacceptable,” denounces the CSMF.
While they do not entirely dismiss the usefulness of the DMP, particularly in avoiding redundant prescriptions, doctors argue that this digital tool is not very efficient. “It feels like going back ten years with software that is quite outdated, with an interface that is not very user-friendly, and that sometimes has bugs… some days it works, some days it doesn’t, and we don’t know why,” a general practitioner from the North told Le Figaro.
Dissenting Voices and Union Stances
While the representative unions are calling for a strike and significant mobilization is expected (over 12,000 doctors have expressed their intention to strike on a platform created by the Jeunes Médecins union), some dissenting voices are emerging within the medical profession. The general medicine union, which leans left, announced in a statement on December 19 that it would not participate in the January strike. “Under the guise of defending access to care and the health system, these organizations are primarily defending the privileges of a corporation and its profits. They oppose the limitations on fee overruns and the control of unjustified profit increases in certain specialties,” the union criticizes.
This article was initially published on JIM.fr, a member of the Medscape network and adapted.
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🔗 **Source:** https://francais.medscape.com/s/viewarticle/gr%C3%A8ve-janvier-veill%C3%A9e-darmes-chez-m%C3%A9decins-2026a100006b
