Staffing crisis at Lariboisière Hospital

The situation in the operating block at the Lariboisière Hospital is deteriorating, with staffing levels dropping by more than 50%. According to the Collectif Inter-Blocs (CIB), the team, which previously had 10 State-certified operating block nurses (IBODE), now only has 5 IBODE.

Working conditions and nurse dissatisfaction

An anonymous IBODE from Lariboisière stated that before the pandemic, the team had a proper workload and good quality of life at work, but the situation has deteriorated over the years. Working conditions have worsened due to repeated shifts, on-call duties, overtime, and increasing fatigue.

Wider issues in French hospitals

The CIB notes that this situation is not unique to Lariboisière, as similar issues have been reported at other hospitals such as Necker, Soissons, and Martigues. After several weeks of negotiations, the operating block nurses at the Laennec block at the Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital have accepted the strike exit protocol proposed by the management.

Structural crisis in healthcare

The CIB describes a structural crisis fueled by recruitment difficulties, the departure of experienced professionals, the lack of funded training, and increasing professional constraints. The collective also criticizes the normalization of a degraded operating mode in healthcare facilities.

Staff turnover and lack of replacements

At Lariboisière, the CIB has initiated procedures with the relevant institutional stakeholders and assures continued support for the professionals. Since the pandemic, there have been successive departures that have not been replaced. In April of last year, the head nurse retired, and the logistics officer of the department did as well.

Negotiations with DGOS

The CIB met with representatives of the Direction générale de l'offre de soins (DGOS) on October 23. The discussions focused on the recognition of the specialty, working conditions, and the future of the profession. The CIB reports a shared assessment of the difficulties faced by the IBODE, but laments the absence of concrete prospects.

Financial constraints and lack of progress

The DGOS cited current financial constraints to justify the impossibility of engaging in discussions on expected measures, citing financial difficulties and the rejection of the 2027 Social Security Financing Bill (PLFSS). The IBODE representatives consider this response insufficient and reject the notion that financial restrictions prevent any evolution of their situation.

Demands for recognition and reform

The CIB demands a salary and status recognition specific to the specialty, arguing that the level of training, technical skills, and responsibilities performed in the operating block are not sufficiently taken into account. Beyond salaries, the place of IBODEs in the organization of surgical care is also questioned.

Controversy over nurse qualifications

Another point of contention is the maintenance of the derogatory system allowing state-certified nurses who are not specialized to perform certain acts within the scope of IBODE competencies, under the conditions set by transitional measures. The CIB demands the end of this system, which it considers a response to immediate operational needs rather than a sustainable solution to the qualification of professionals.

Funding and political engagement

The lack of available funding is among the factors contributing to recruitment difficulties and the renewal of teams, according to the CIB. The collective also calls on the Minister of Health, Stéphanie Rist, whom it claims to have contacted several times without receiving a response.

Plans for intensified action

Grégory Chakir, President of the Collectif Inter-Blocs, announced that the collective is in the process of discussing a social movement to give voice to the IBODEs of Lariboisière. Faced with the lack of satisfactory progress, the CIB now considers intensifying its mobilization. It will consider organizing a specific national strike for IBODEs, to which operating block nursing students and IDEs working in the operating block could also participate. No date is announced at this stage.

Continuing political efforts

Meanwhile, the collective intends to continue its political action, promoting its bill proposal and petition to the National Assembly to obtain a parliamentary debate on the recognition of the specialty. A new meeting with the DGOS is planned in a month. The collective intends to continue the discussions, while demanding concrete commitments.