The protest took place on the esplanade of the Archer 2 hospital. A location normally reserved for taxis. They came to express their disapproval of the widespread reimbursement of consultations. An idea that affects few people and excludes many. They want to be valued properly and denounce the “Uberization” of the profession.
“Psychological suffering is neither an administrative file nor a budget envelope.” This is the bitter observation made by Benoît Devred, CGT representative on the Hygiene and Safety Committee of the Saint-Marie hospital in Nice. They all describe a deplorable situation. Renato Saiu sees in this law “an obstacle course” for patients. The patient will have to go to their general practitioner to obtain a prescription. This will allow them to go to the psychologist for an evaluation. They will then have to return to their general practitioner who can prescribe 10 psychotherapy sessions. The catch is that it will not be possible to have two consecutive sessions. They all say in unison “it’s too short.”
Decrying working conditions
Normally, a psychotherapy session lasts “between 45 minutes to 1h30.” However, the government has imposed a quota of hours to be followed: 30 minutes and not a minute more. “Welcoming someone in psychological distress, who is crying and traumatized, it’s not possible to just say stop thank you goodbye, it’s over once the time is up,” says Renato Saiu.
There is a risk of making certain scientifically recognized techniques impractical. He concludes by explaining that “it’s not possible to be paid 22 euros gross for 30 minutes. This would leave only eight euros for the psychologist.”
Benoît Devred is not afraid to say “the ARS doesn’t help us.” He explains that the decisions of public authorities are not without consequences. “Especially when they foresee a reconstruction of the hospital center with, in the end, loss of beds. They provide no means to redistribute activities over extra-hospital areas. Public authorities impose care without consent.”
His daily work is also greatly impacted. With potential risk for future patients. Despite these professionals’ expertise. “How can we fulfill our mission of psychological care? When a psychologist is posted in at least two units in-hospital. Not to mention the increasing pressure of follow-up requests.”
Disregard from the administration
This measure doesn’t seem to gain unanimous support within the profession. Worse, their opinions weren’t even listened to. “This bill comes from an experiment in four departments. According to him, all psychologists gave negative feedback to the CPAM (Primary Health Insurance Fund)”, explains Renato Saiu, a private psychologist.
The issue of consultation does not seem to unite everyone. For Chantal Silvestri, a psychologist at the Archet 2 hospital, this claim is nonsense. “We demand the repeal of the decree of March 10, 2021. It was drafted without our profession’s consultation.”
But a cheerful atmosphere
For this gathering, about a hundred health professionals took to the streets. The speeches were interspersed with music to lighten the mood. Some even led the dance, or rather a little dance step. After about two hours of standing, several groups dispersed. Heading towards several neighborhoods in Nice to spread the word. Stéphane Gauberti had the last word with a clear message. He said, “see you in five days.”
