Partir ou rester ? Les médecins hospitaliers à l’épreuve des réformes de santé

Abstract

Introduction: Against a backdrop of crisis in the public hospital sector, the issue of the disengagement of healthcare professionals is of paramount importance. The wave of resignations, widely reported in the media for nurses and care assistants, is also beginning to take hold among doctors.

Purpose of the study: The Espace de Réflexion Ethique Bourgogne - Franche-Comté has chosen to investigate the reasons for the wavering commitment of doctors working in public hospitals through a qualitative study.

Results: Budget cuts, lack of staff, lack of beds, the need to be profitable… All of these factors are believed to be at the root of the over-investment of healthcare professionals and, more generally, to be contributing to doctors' disengagement from the public hospital service.

Conclusions: The constraints listed by hospital doctors point the finger at the current managerial policies of the public healthcare system. These various criticisms of the tools used to manage and finance hospitals highlight the macro- and micro-social conflicts in the public hospital system, threatening its long-term survival.