In Draguignan, the CPTS association has a civilian world relay

The CPTS, the territorial professional health community of Dracénie, manages 35 municipalities and 119,000 inhabitants, half of whom are concentrated in Draguignan.

This association is composed of approximately 435 self-employed healthcare professionals. Although access to health information is available to all, approximately 1,500 "professionals" practice in the sector.

It works with institutional partners, some of which are part of the governance (Ehpad, care and rehabilitation center, hospital management and the Notre-Dame polyclinic, Promosoins, Aups professional health center, CPAM and the Regional Health Agency).

The CPTS supports both patients in finding them an emergency appointment and healthcare professionals, with a view to ensuring continuity of care, in a context of inflated laws, imbalance between supply and demand and lack of salary increases.

For the past six months, the company has welcomed a civilian coordinator to its offices on Avenue du Maréchal-Juin, one of the few CPTS (Community Health and Safety Committee) bodies in the Var region. Objectives, results, and territory are discussed. An interview with Pascal Aillaud, a car dealership manager in early retirement, accompanied by Cindy Pugliese, director.

You are a civil coordinator, one of the few in the Var CPTS structures. Why?

It's an internal decision. We needed someone with experience in business management. And someone with a different perspective than the medically focused one. A patient's perspective, a civilian's perspective. And, as a former business leader, there's mental flexibility when it comes to legal, accounting, and financial matters.

What are your missions as coordinator within the CPTS?

There are several, depending on the needs. I mainly have project missions. I'm a driving force in strategic visions. Sometimes, I put the church back in the center of the village. It's very intellectually enriching because you meet a lot of people.

An example?

This is the Eductour, organized by the Faculty of Nice. A three-day tour for around thirty students nearing the end of their studies (physiotherapists, doctors, pharmacists, etc.). The goal is to inspire them to settle in Dracénie. The meeting is scheduled for September.

What is your territory's dashboard?

It's an aging, rural and semi-urban population with a very present precariousness. And different needs. In the town of Draguignan, it's the culture of the instant: everything, right away, now. We take the doctor who's available. In the Aups area, we have an agricultural culture, where we wait to see the family doctor. Moreover, sometimes, we wait so long that we end up giving up on care and telling ourselves that it will pass.

What are the categories in difficulty?

There is a shortage of psychiatrists, dermatologists, advanced practice nurses (APNs), endocrinologists, diabetologists, etc.

Is there a problem with the pricing of healthcare services?

Yes. For example, for IVs. When you have one in the morning and one in the evening, now the evening one isn't counted. A blood test costs 6.08 or 7 euros in total. You have to pay URSSAF on top of that, plus fees... And it's generally done at 6 a.m. so that the patient doesn't fast for too long. There's a lack of recognition. But also people who challenge science, as with the issue of vaccines. We have consultations that last longer because we have to deconstruct what the patient has mistakenly read on the Internet, and people who post negative opinions on social media without knowing the reality. There can also be verbal and physical attacks.

What are the future trends in this territory?

We have a new doctor in Draguignan. A health center, dependent on the one in Vidauban, is scheduled to open in mid-July in Bargemon. In addition, the number of health professionals will decrease as they reach retirement age.

We hear about giving up care, what does that mean?

In gynecology, for example, there's a segment of the population that only wants to interact with a woman. There's the barrier of insecurity because they no longer have any benchmarks for anticipation. And there are young people, often on social media, who don't know how to make a medical appointment. So we have a digital ambassador for everyone.