where to find a doctor in the Vaucluse?

If you are ill, you have certainly noticed: it is even more complicated than usual to find a doctor at the end of the year in the Vaucluse. France Bleu has therefore contacted health professionals and the Regional Health Agency (ARS) to explain the situation to you and direct you to alternative solutions as best as possible.

A strained healthcare system…

The problem has several explanations. On the one hand, the number of patients is increasing sharply because of the triple epidemic of influenza, Covid-19 and bronchiolitis. For example, the number of flu cases detected in the emergency room has more than doubled in one week in the department.

And on the other hand, there are even fewer doctors available than usual. Some are on vacation, others are on strike, and those who remain are overwhelmed. This exceptional situation also comes on top of a chronic lack of doctors in the department.

But a childcare system that works.

It is for these different reasons that you have trouble finding a doctor to treat you or your loved ones. If you are sick, different solutions are available to you:

• Go see your doctor must remain the priority.

• If he’s on vacation, on strike or you don’t have one, the on-call system takes over. Despite the strike, it works according to the regional health agency. You can call the on-call medical homes. There are five in the department: Avignon
  , Apt
  , Carpentras
  , Cavaillon
  and Orange
  . The numbers 116 and 117 that you find on the internet are not yet active in Vaucluse according to the ARS.

• The ARS also puts online an interactive map
  but the doctors on strike or on vacation may not have all reported themselves.

• Then there is also the option SOS Doctors . But there is only one antenna at Pontet near Avignon. Attention, you must reserve your slot on the internet on the site smsinsitu.com.
  It is a kind of virtual waiting room to avoid too many people at the same time in the premises and to avoid contamination.
  At the moment appointments are filling up very quickly and doctors are sometimes forced to temporarily close appointments to avoid saturation. If you do not have the possibility to book alone at home on the internet, a tablet is available on site.

• If it is serious, that is to say: if you have difficulty breathing, or chest pain, or you lose consciousness, or you have impaired consciousness etc… you must call the 15 before going to the emergency room. A regulating doctor will be able to guide you in the best way.

And in these all cases, be patient and courteous with caregivers, despite the waiting time. They do what they can to accommodate you. At the moment, the SOS doctors branch in Pontet has six doctors a day to treat 200 patients and the emergency room in Cavaillon saw 130 people parade this Tuesday, December 27 in 24 hours instead of about 70 usually.