Recruitment difficulties for health establishments increased sharply following the Covid crisis, sometimes forcing hospitals to close beds more or less temporarily.
“We are seeing slight positive signs in terms of recruitment” in hospitals and Ehpad, following the efforts made in particular for the purchasing power of nursing staff, declared Arnaud Robinet, president of the FHF and also mayor (Horizons) of Reims.
However, “we must not let up on the effort”: “we are in the middle of the ford and a lot remains to be done”he said at a press conference.
In June 2023, 4.98% of nursing positions were vacant in establishments dependent on the FHF, compared to 5.7% in April 2022. This rate remains very high in nursing homes (12.22%, compared to 13, however). 1% in April 2022).
“This improvement should make it possible to better organize care” and to have “the right teams in the right place”, but it would be “premature” to mention possible re-openings of beds, because “there are still tensions and occasional closures” for lack of caregivers, indicated Zainab Riet, the general delegate of the FHF.
The federation calls for increased public funding
The financial situation of public hospitals and nursing homes also remains precarious, with a cumulative deficit projection of around one billion euros for the year 2022, i.e. “a near doubling of the pre-Covid crisis structural deficit”which was 5 to 600 million euros, according to the FHF.
The federation is therefore asking for increased public funding in the next budget of the “safety“, which will be reviewed next fall.
While the government is seeking to tighten the budgetary screw by all means to meet the commitments made to the EU, the FHF is asking for a catch-up of 3 billion euros for 2023 for public hospitals (National objective hospital health insurance expenditure), and an additional increase of 4.9 billion euros for 2024.
“The very positive salary measures” announced by Elisabeth Borne last week “will have to be financed to the nearest euro” by the statein particular to prevent hospitals from cutting back on their investments, said Arnaud Robinet.
