An additional billion euros over ten years for palliative care, announces Minister of Health Catherine Vautrin

La ministre de la Santé, Catherine Vautrin, a dévoilé son plan. Midi Libre – JEAN-MICHEL MART

La ministre de la Santé, Catherine Vautrin, a annoncé ce samedi 6 avril que le gouvernement allait porter son budget consacré aux soins palliatifs à 2,7 milliards d’euros en 2034.

The Minister of Health, Catherine Vautrin, announced on Saturday April 6 that the government would increase its budget by an additional 1.1 billion euros over ten years to develop palliative care within the framework of the bill. at the end of life. It must be presented to the Council of Ministers on Wednesday.

"When someone thinks they meet the criteria to potentially request assistance in dying, the first thing they will be offered is palliative care", explained the Minister of Labor, Health and Solidarity, in an interview with Monde. "And therefore, to offer them, they must still be accessible", she added.

"Only 30 % of minors and 50 % of adults…"

Because, even if she considers that "France is a great country in terms of public health", the minister recalls that with regard to palliative care, "only 30% of minors and 50% of adults who need it have access to it".

Hence, to remedy this, this increase in the budget allocated to palliative care to the tune of an additional 1.1 billion euros over ten years. In 2034, expenditure will be 2.7 billion euros, detailed Catherine Vautrin.

Beds for Lozère and the Pyrénées-Orientales

The minister, during this interview, also advocated "earlier and more home-oriented care", and advocated for additional recruitment of doctors, by creating a palliative and support medicine specialty.

She also announced the creation of 220 additional beds in the palliative care units which will open in the twenty departments which still do not have any. Lozère and the Pyrénées-Orientales are among these departments and USPs should be opened there from 2024, she assured.

"Substantial financial resources" according to ADMD

For this ten-year plan relating to palliative care, the association for the right to die with dignity, appreciated, as of Saturday, "financial resources consequent", while noting "a constant lack of human resources which remains to be filled".

"This plan must certainly accompany the legalization of active assistance in dying: both’ nbsp;!" further underlined the ADMD.

End of life: the bill on May 27 at the National Assembly

Finally, for the record, let us recall that the bill on the end of life will be examined in plenary session at the National Assembly from May 27, as previously announced Prime Minister Gabriel Attal announced on March 11 on X (formerly Twitter).