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Rennes Emergency Staff Strike After Two Patients Die on Stretchers

Hospital staff blame surging flu, a GP strike, bed shortages for an overwhelmed service.

Overview

  • Two people died on stretchers at the CHU de Rennes over the weekend, triggering a strike by local emergency workers and renewed scrutiny of conditions.
  • Management says preliminary findings do not implicate the quality of care, noting one case involved palliative care, with an in-depth review underway.
  • The service built for roughly 150 daily patients handled about 250 per day this week, peaking at 280 on Monday, according to on-the-ground accounts.
  • Caregivers report one aide for about 30 patients and waits exceeding 48 hours with dozens on corridor stretchers, citing exhaustion and bed closures; private hospitals in Rennes reduced intake despite prefect requisitions.
  • Nationwide pressure persists with a flu wave and GP walkout, as the FHF logs 28 plan blanc activations and 108 hospitals in tension, while Samu call volumes have risen 30–50%.