Since July 1st, the compensation for on-call duties of hospital practitioners has been increased by 30% to 50%. This change comes after a period of anticipation
Since July 1st, the compensation for on-call duties of hospital practitioners has been increased by 30% to 50%. This change comes after a period of anticipation and pressure from hospital practitioner unions.
Background and Union Actions
Hospital practitioner unions had been growing impatient with the government's delay in publishing the necessary decrees. In a recent statement, the inter-union Action Praticien Hôpital (APH) criticized the government for prioritizing temporary medical staffing regulations while neglecting the promised updates on on-call compensation. The unions had previously filed a strike notice in early April to push for interim measures for on-call compensation, which was initially postponed to November 1, 2025. By the end of April, the unions succeeded in securing a commitment for the compensation increase starting July 1st, leading them to lift the strike notice.
Delay in Official Publication
Despite the agreement, the official decree was not published in the Journal Officiel by July 1st, causing concern among the unions. APH questioned whether the government had forgotten its commitment to the interim compensation increase, which was supposed to be effective since 2024. The decree was finally published on July 9th, officially confirming the compensation adjustments for hospital practitioners.
Details of the Compensation Increase
The first decree addresses the temporary increase in on-call compensation for public hospitals and nursing homes, effective from July 1 to October 31, 2025, before becoming permanent:
- The base rate for home on-call duties is set at €66.78 for a night or two half-days, and €33.38 for a half-night or Saturday afternoon.
- The base rate for operational on-call duties is €67.19 for a night or two half-days, and €33.57 for a half-night or Saturday afternoon.
- The base rate for security on-call duties is €48.71 for a night or two half-days, and €24.38 for a half-duty on Saturday afternoon.
When a hospital compensates on-call duties using the base rate, it must also cover the practitioner's travel expenses. There is an option to bundle these costs, with the total package not exceeding €240.75. Additionally, the flat-rate allowance for activities related to operating room functions or justified by the facility's activity is set at €259.43.
Revised Regulations for Continuous Care
A second decree clarifies and organizes the compensation for continuous care, modifying a previous decree from 2003. Practitioners over 60, those with health issues, and pregnant women can now be exempt from continuous care duties. Even with bundled compensation, the facility director must track intervention times to ensure the maximum work duration does not exceed 48 hours. Intervention and travel times must be included in the practitioner's work hours, and additional work hours and on-call duties can be compensated with time off.
The compensation for continuous care is as follows:
- €422.03 for a night, Sunday, or public holiday.
- €211.01 for a half-night or Saturday afternoon.
For university hospital practitioners (PU-PH), the compensation is:
- €253.20 for a half-duty on Saturday afternoon.
- €755.81 for a night, Sunday, or public holiday.
- €377.93 for a half-duty on a night, Sunday, or public holiday.
For associate assistants and attached practitioners, the compensation is:
- €346.71 for a night, Sunday, or public holiday.
- €173.36 for a half-night or Saturday afternoon.
Additional work hours are compensated as follows:
- €335.60 for a full period.
- €167.79 for a half-period.
Most measures from this decree will be implemented on November 1, 2025, except for exemptions from continuous care duties for certain staff categories, which take effect immediately after the decree's publication.
