A law adopted in May 2023 extends the list of healthcare professionals that patients can access without GP referral. Following this new regulation, patients have now direct access to advanced nurse practitioners, physiotherapists and speech therapists who are working in coordinated care practices such as hospitals, clinics, medico-social establishments, multidisciplinary group practices or healthcare centres. This measure aims to tackle the persistent problem of underserved medical areas by easing access to healthcare.
The law also supports task shifting, as it is extending the remit of several allied health professionals. Advanced nurse practitioners will notably be able to initiate the prescription of specific drugs or procedures, and opticians will be allowed to adapt glasses and contact lens prescriptions.
This law was adopted following long and difficult discussions in the two parliament chambers. Additionally, both physicians and allied healthcare professionals have claimed that the new law is not providing enough support for their respective roles within the healthcare system.
More information available here (in French): https://www.assemblee-nationale.fr/dyn/16/dossiers/amelioration_confiance_professionnels; https://www.vie-publique.fr/loi/288203-acces-aux-soins-loi-rist-du-19-mai-2023