French socialist MP Olivier Véran is requesting further regulations for the use of temporary healthcare professionals, according to the French daily newspaper Le Figaro. According to Véran the current situation is “excessively expensive” for public hospitals; he declared: “this is a serious threat for the quality and consistency of the services, and an immense cost for the national healthcare system.”

“The lack of regulations and failure to comply with the ones in place are responsible for the immense overspends which represent an increasing portion of public hospitals’ operations budget.”  The MP also mentions rates of €1,000 per day, or €1,500 for a 24 hours shift; adding that 35% of vacant radiologists jobs fall into that ball park.

MP Olivier Véran indicated that he had been involved with a working group in parliament for the last few weeks, adding that “the Federation of French Hospitals are following closely the discussion and agreed to take part in the consultation.” With this working group the MP is hoping to kick start a consultation on “ad-hoc regulations for the use of temporary staff in hospitals, but also on ensuring we control the demographic shift currently happening in the whole of the healthcare workforce.”