About

Interaction entre un médecin et son patient

OUR MISSION

We are the Médecins Franco-Britanniques, a group of British and French doctors who are currently training or have completed training in the UK during the post-Brexit era. As a result of Brexit, our qualifications are no longer recognised by the French authorities. All of us have strong ties to France, many of us have French citizenship or reside in the country already. We are eager to begin work in France as soon as it becomes possible to do so. Our mission is to facilitate the re-acceptance of British medical qualifications in France post-Brexit.

A PRESSING ISSUE

The extreme shortage of doctors in areas classified as “medical deserts” in France presents a critical challenge to the French healthcare system. Most of us have ties with underserved areas such as these. As UK-trained doctors we hold qualifications which are internationally highly respected, but for political reasons they are no longer being recognised in France. Below we have laid out the challenges we are facing in more detail.

Current Barriers to Working in France

1. Restrictive administrative procedures :

Any doctor applying to work in France after 1 January 2021 must deregister from the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC) before the lengthily application process to the French Ordre des Médecins can begin, without guarantee of acceptance. This puts them at risk of unemployment and completely severs their professional ties with the UK.
Mandatory EVC Exams: Any British doctor qualifying after 1 January 2021 must take the Épreuves de Vérification des Connaissances (EVC). This exam is not required for other EU doctors, even though UK medical training remains at European standards.
Fully qualified doctors who have passed the EVC must spend 1-3 years being supervised in a junior role before being granted a full licence to practice, even though they are already trained to a senior level by European standards with a full licence to practice.
UK-trained doctors are finding even the act of researching what is needed for them to work and settle in France is incredibly challenging due to the complexity of the issue.

2. Loss of pre-settlement rights:

Doctors who are non-citizens but with established ties to France have seen their settlements rights diminished post-Brexit, restricting their ability to practice and live in France. In some cases, this is has forced doctors to return to the UK permanently.

3. Unequal recognition of qualifications:

While other EU countries continue to recognise UK medical qualifications, France imposes much stricter conditions.
Between 31st December 2020 and 1st January 2021 there has been no change in the quality of UK medical training, and yet since Brexit has officially passed, our training is no longer accepted by L’Ordre des Médecins.

The Impact on the French Population

Limited access to healthcare:

The shortage of doctors directly impacts the health and well-being of the population in underserved French regions – often this includes our families, friends and neighbours in France.

Loss of opportunity to obtain highly-skilled medical professionals:

Many of our members already reside in France (or planning to do) so but are having to make the difficult decision to either move to a different country or leave the profession altogether due to these barriers.

OUR PROPOSED SOLUTIONS

To address the above issues, we propose the following:

Bilateral agreement for qualification recognition

Establish a framework to facilitate the movement of doctors between the UK and France, similar to existing reciprocal agreements with other non-EU countries (e.g. Quebec, Canada).

Dual registration

Allow UK-trained doctors to apply to L’Ordre des Médecins while simultaneously maintaining GMC registration, reducing the risk of long periods of unemployment.

Restoration of settlement rights

Ensure that British citizens with a UK medical degree have an established pathway to obtaining a visa which allows them to apply for medical work and settle in France.

Accelerated process for medical deserts

Implement a streamlined registration process for doctors wishing to serve in regions facing acute shortages to avoid delays to the care of French people in these areas.

Change is possible

France already has agreements with other non-EU countries, such as the province of Quebec, Canada, allowing doctors from those regions to practise in France under adapted frameworks. We feel that UK-trained doctors should be allowed to benefit from a similar arrangement given that our training remains at European standards despite Brexit.

A Commitment to High Quality Healthcare in France

L’Association des Médecins Franco-Britanniques is ready to play an active role in addressing the healthcare crisis in France. By easing administrative hurdles and recognising our qualifications, France can quickly establish a solution for improved access to quality care for its medical deserts.

We welcome the opportunity to discuss these proposals further and collaborate on practical solutions. Together, we can meet this challenge and strengthen healthcare access where it is most needed.