What is in the law proposed to ease France's GP shortages

A new law stipulating where doctors can set up in practice is the latest attempt to tackle concerns over the shortage of healthcare in many areas.

Last year, six million people were without a regular GP, and 87% of French territory fell  into areas classed as ‘medical deserts’, where access to healthcare is difficult. 

The official definition being an area in which fewer than three GP appointments are available per resident per year. 

Departments with the fewest doctors include Eure, Ain, Mayenne, Eure-et-Loir, Meuse and Seine-et-Marne. 

Those with the most include Paris, Hautes-Alpes, Rhône, Alpes-Maritimes and Bouches-du-Rhône. 

Shortages are most severe in central and northern France. 

Causes include retirement and not enough young doctors entering independent practice to replace them. 

Read more: Eight facts to understand France’s issue of ‘medical deserts’

This is, in part, linked to a policy limiting the number of medical students allowed to continue to the second year of studies, which was abolished in 2020.

Regional disparities are stark: in 2023, more than 50% of rural towns and villages lacked adequate GP coverage, compared to 28% of urban areas. 

Coastal areas are typically better served than central rural areas. 

MPs have passed a cross-party bill to regulate where doctors can set up. It is now awaiting a debate and vote in the Senate.

MP Guillaume Garot, who led the bill, said: “Six million people in France do not have a regular doctor, and eight million live in a medical desert.”

Under the law, doctors in independent practice must seek permission from local health authorities to open a practice.

Approval is automatic in shortage zones, but in better-served areas, doctors can only start if someone retires or leaves. 

Health Minister Yannick Neuder said the bill fails to address the core issue, which he said was the declining appeal of the medical profession.

Opposition from GPs

Doctors and students criticised the law, staging strikes and protests. 

The national association of medical students of France called it “a coercive measure that threatens access to care”.

A body for trainee doctors warned it could drive them away from general practice entirely, worsening access. 

They said the solution lies in training more doctors, improving conditions, and offering incentives to work in rural areas.

While successive governments have acknowledged the ‘desert’ issue, many parts of  France, such as the Riviera, are well served. 

World Health Organization figures from 2022 cite France as having 32.8 doctors per 10,000 residents. The figure for the US is 36.8 and for the UK 31.4. 

Prime Minister François Bayrou has launched a ‘medical desert pact’ with more pledges.

He said regional health agencies will identify ‘red zones’ where care access is poorest, prioritising them for action. 

Measures include making medical training available in every department from autumn 2026 and requiring all students to do at least one internship in a red zone. 

All doctors will have to do two consultation days per month in these areas. 

The plan seeks to cut admin: for example, limiting the kinds of doctor’s certificate that GPs might be asked to provide.

It is also planned to allow other professionals to perform some tasks doctors traditionally do, eg. by expanding the role of ‘advanced practice nurses’. 

The association of rural mayors said this ‘wide-ranging’ approach had good potential. Legislation for the plan will be introduced during this year. 

There are, however, already signs of improvement. 

As of January, France saw a 1.7% annual rise in practising doctors. 

Foreign recruitment is also increasing, with 3,800 non-EU doctors passing the required exam last year, double the 2023 figure. Mr Neuder said procedures will be simplified.