journalTHE POITOU-CHARENTES

Your monthly paper for the Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres , Vienne & surrounding areas

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jYour monthly paper for the Charente, Charente-Maritime, Deux-Sèvres , Vienne & surrounding areas

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SO WHERE HAVE ALL OUR DOCTORS GONE?

The number of health professionals in the Poitou-Charentes is below the national aver-age in all categories, and the situation looks set to

get worse in the coming years, according to a recent report. From GPs and dentists to midwives, nurses and specialist doctors, this region lags behind many other areas when it comes to the proportion of key health workers in relation to the popula-tion. One of the worst-a� ected areas is in pae-diatrics with the Poitou-Charentes having just 38 per 100,000 inhabitants - the national average is 61 per 100,000. � e situation with psychiatry is similarly bad. � is region has just 15 psychiatrists per 100,000 people, compared with a national average of 22.

� e report, the Plan Stratégique Ré-gional de Santé produced by the regional health agency the Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS), paints a bleak picture of the immediate future for healthcare sta� ng

levels. Many doctors and other health professionals in this area are aged 55 or over, meaning that many will retire in the next few years. For example, 35 percent of all dental surgeons here are aged 55 or more.

Dr Stéphane Bouges, who is in charge of non-hospital and clinic-based healthcare for the regional health agency, says that even when it comes to numbers of GPs – where the region is only just below the national average – the immediate future is worrying. 'If you look at the Charente, for example, 12 GPs there will retire in 2012 and they will not be replaced by younger doctors,' Dr Bouges told � e Journal. '� at's a huge number. And that means that the remaining doctors will have to look a� er those doctors' patients. � e Charente will su� er for ten years.' In its report the health agency highlights a total of 31 areas de� ned as 'fragile zones' because of the lack of numbers of GPs,

Report shows region short of key health workers in all sectors - but there are hopeful signs for the future

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