Making a doctor's appointment in France

The easiest way is booking via Doctolib on the site or app: you search for the doctor or specialist in your city and choose a time and confirm it with a text message.

• Some doctors do not accept new patients (patients nouveaux), and in some regions (déserts médicaux) you wait weeks or months, so start calling early and try several surgeries and a doctor in a health centre or maison de santé.
• You can call the surgery in the morning and explain your problem to the secretary (secrétaire médicale) who may give you a same-day appointment for urgent cases.
• Tell her your name, age, the reason for the visit and if you are a new patient.
• If you need an interpreter ask in advance or bring someone to translate.
• And do not forget to cancel the appointment if you cannot attend (Doctolib permits this) because repeated absence is rejected, and you may be charged fees in some cases.

The path starts with your médecin traitant to whom you send your details, and he examines you and prescribes treatment or refers you to a specialist by a letter (courrier).

• And among specialists directly without referral: the gynaecologist (gynécologue), the dentist (dentiste), the ophthalmologist (ophtalmologue) and the paediatrician.
• For other specialists (skin, heart, neurology and bones) you need a referral otherwise reimbursement falls.
• A specialist in sector 1 keeps to the tariff (about 30 to 50 euros), and in sector 2 may impose a dépassement d'honoraires, an excess in fees, so ask the price before booking and check on the annuaire santé ameli.
• Test and image results need a laboratoire and a cabinet de radiologie with a prescription.
• And you can consult remotely (téléconsultation) via platforms (Doctolib and Medadom) or by phone, and it is reimbursed like an ordinary consultation.
• And for a second opinion you ask for a second avis.

On arrival wait in the waiting room and present the Vitale card to the secretary or the doctor.

• The doctor asks about your symptoms and their duration, your previous illnesses, medicines and allergies, so mention everything.
• He may examine you and measure your pressure and request tests or images and write an ordonnance (prescription) or refer you or give you an arrêt de travail.
• Ask for explanation if you do not understand, and repeat what you understood.
• Then you pay the consultation (30 euros for the GP) by card, cash or cheque, and the feuille de soins is sent electronically and you are reimbursed about 70 percent (with 2 euros deducted) within days, and the mutuelle covers the rest.
• If your doctor applies tiers payant you do not pay the covered portion.
• Always ask for a receipt (note d'honoraires).
• The information is confidential under medical secrecy and is not shared with the police or immigration without your permission.

For an illness that cannot wait and is not life-threatening: call your doctor or SOS Médecins (3624) which visits you at home for a higher fee, or visit a maison médicale de garde or a centre de soins non programmés.

• And at night and weekends call 116 117 (medical duty) or the duty pharmacy (pharmacie de garde) via 3237.
• As for serious cases (severe chest pain, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding, stroke and large burns) call 15 (SAMU) or 112 and it sends a medical team.
• And in hospital urgences patients are sorted by seriousness so you may wait hours for a less serious case.
• Do not go to emergency for a minor matter.
• And for children there is a children's emergency department.
• And for mental health 3114 (suicide prevention).
• And remember that emergency care is available to everyone regardless of insurance and residence status.

You have the right to safe and respectful care, clear information on your condition and treatment, consenting or refusing after understanding (consentement éclairé), confidentiality, access to your medical file (dossier médical) and Mon espace santé, a second opinion, a male or female doctor where possible, and an interpreter in public hospitals.

• And your treatment may not be refused because of your origin, religion or income, and discrimination is against the law.
• If you are not satisfied speak first to the doctor, then submit a complaint to the Ordre des médecins or the fund (CPAM) or the hospital's représentants des usagers.
• And for serious cases the Commission de conciliation et d'indemnisation (CCI) free of charge.
• And France Assos Santé and the Défenseur des droits (09 69 39 00 00) help.
• And keep copies of your file and prescriptions.

What is the SAMU number?