Self-employed doctors and specialists in France began a 10-day strike on Monday to protest measures in the government’s 2026 social security budget, with unions predicting widespread participation. Private practices are being urged to close, consultations cancelled or postponed, and operating theatres in private clinics shut down – a move that could place additional strain on public hospitals.

The Confederation of French Medical Trade Unions (CSMF) said the action was expected to be “extremely well followed”, with 85% of its members planning to strike. The mobilisation follows a series of protests, including a march in Paris in October 2025, where doctors demanded “the protection of health budgets” and policies better aligned with public health needs.

Health Minister Stéphanie Rist said the government had prepared measures to maintain services. Steps had been taken “to organise continuity of care… so that our fellow citizens are not put at risk during this mobilisation”, she explained in an interview with La République du Centre. “We can also resort to requisitions, if necessary,” she added, stressing the balance between patient safety and the right to strike.

At the heart of the dispute is the 2026 Social Security Financing Law, which would give the national health insurance fund (CNAM) new powers to regulate doctors’ fees and curb “excessively profitable” extra billing. According to the French Health Ministry, patient co-payments linked to extra fees have risen sharply over the past decade, contributing to inequalities in access to care.

Doctors also oppose tighter rules on sick-leave prescriptions and new digital management tools, which they argue increase bureaucracy and worsen shortages in so-called “medical deserts”. France already has fewer doctors per capita in rural areas, a trend highlighted in recent reports by the Cour des Comptes and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

Defending the reforms, Rist said extra billing had grown “exponential[ly]”… and warned that “some of our fellow citizens are giving up treatment for financial reasons”.