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French Doctors’ Strike Escalates as Surgeons Call Unlimited Halt to Clinic On-Call Duties

Unions escalate to force direct talks with the prime minister.

Overview

  • The Le Bloc coalition announced an open-ended stoppage of evening and weekend on-call shifts in private clinics starting Wednesday.
  • The broader walkout called for 5–15 January is due to end Thursday, even as specialist actions now extend without a set end date.
  • Assurance Maladie data show a 13.5% fall in teletransmitted billing forms during the first week, with general practitioners down 17.2% and specialists 8.2%.
  • Operating rooms and some emergency services have closed in parts of the private sector, creating local pressure such as in Toulouse and heavier emergency flows reported in Bordeaux.
  • Unions have refused talks with the health minister and demand concrete responses from Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu, while officials note recent weather may also have influenced activity declines.