THE BEST HOSPITALS AN INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED HEALTHCARE SYSTEM GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE SEVEN MAJOR MEDICAL SPECIALITIES AND HOSPITALS READY TO WELCOME YOU › GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE / EDITORIAL › GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE / SUMMARY EDITORIAL SUMMARY The quality of care and the tradition of welcoming in France are well known. For the first time, French Healthcare is presented in a booklet for patients around the world. Healthcare in France 2 France is a land of medical innovation. Our teams of doctors, Practical information surgeons and researchers, trained at the highest level, are 6 used to world firsts in many therapeutic areas. In order to help international patients benefit from their expertise, Cardiology 8 French hospitals set new standards for people who choose to travel for care. Gynaecology – obstetrics 10 One of the priorities of the association French Healthcare (https://frenchhealthcare.fr), which brings together Neurology institutions and health professionals wishing to promote 12 French know-how abroad, is to propose a framework guaranteeing the satisfaction of patients and the quality of Oncology 14 care throughout their stay. The objectives of this approach include easier access to Orthopaedic services 16 «French» care, obtaining visas for health reasons, optimal reception in institutions for patients and their families, Paediatrics customized services, and specially trained staff. 18 Patients who do not have the health care provision in their Rehabilitation services 20 country of residence will now be able to find in France the best treatments and medical care, in terms of efficiency, cost and quality of reception. Thousand and one treasures of Discover France, a unique experience 22 French cities and territories also await them. JEAN-FRANÇOIS GENDRON President of the French Healthcare association 1 › GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE / OVERVIEW HEALTHCARE IN FRANCE 13 Nobel Prizes for medicine awarded « to French teams RENOWNED HEALTHCARE recently as 2008 (Professors Françoise Barré-Sinoussi and With an internationally recognized Luc Montagnier: discovery of the healthcare system, groundbreaking retrovirus responsible for causing research facilities and high-quality AIDS) and 2011 (Professor Jules infrastructures, France welcomes Hoffmann: research on innate many patients from around the immunity). French research is globe. especially active in the fight against Its medical teams are ranked cancer and the treatment of rare among the best in the world. diseases. French excellence extends to numerous surgical and medical France strives to ensure effective specialities, notably for the transfer of technological and treatment of cancers, heart scientific advances to therapeutic diseases, orthopaedic surgery and fields, and several training centres reconstructive surgery. for new techniques have been created, including IRCAD, the European School of Surgery A GUARANTEE OF FASTER (EEC) and Cancer Campus. These TREATMENT MEETING THE institutions were founded on the HIGHEST STANDARDS IN principles of translational medicine ALL FIELDS to speed patients access to the latest discovers and improve The French healthcare system the overall healthcare system often receives top honours in performance. international rankings: it is first on the World Health Organization’s ranking of the world’s health HEALTH ESTABLISHMENTS systems. This recognized OPEN TO THE WORLD performance ensures that patients receive treatment quickly Our hospitals employ doctors, with average wait times that researchers and students from earned France third place on the around the world. They have come Commonwealth Fund 2014 ranking. to learn about French medical It also means uninsured patients expertise through the best research who are not French residents and training programmes and help are able to benefit from very spread that knowledge across the competitive prices. globe. Numerous techniques and surgical A CULTURE OF specialities, such as heart surgery, INNOVATION FOR CUTTING- neurosurgery and robotic surgery, EDGE HEALTHCARE were developed in France and many – including the fields of Research by French medical gynaecology and oncology – owe research teams has won 13 Nobel much to French teams. Prizes, with awards received as 2 › GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE / OVERVIEW › GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE / OVERVIEW CERTIFIED QUALITY WITH THE HIGHEST OF STANDARDS France has a quality control system, overseen by its National Health Authority (HAS), which is among the best in the world. French healthcare facilities are required to undergo certification every four years to ensure their quality level meets basic criteria regarding infection risk, patient identification, pain management, medication management and policies to improve care quality and safety. These are some of the most stringent certification standards in the world. A high-quality and safe certification system that is among the most stringent « in the world A HEALTHCARE SYSTEM THAT CONSIDERS ETHICS AND CONDUCT AS CORE VALUES Practising medicine in France is governed by a medical conduct code that covers such principles as the respect of human dignity and professional confidentiality, patients’ right to information and the obligation to obtain consent for all interventions. The equally high-quality therapeutic offer, available to all without distinction and subject to strict oversight, has earned French healthcare facilities one of the best reputations for probity in the world. Article 7 of the Code of Conduct stipulates that “doctors must listen, examine, advise or offer care of the same standard to all patients regardless of their origin, nationality, religion or feelings they may have towards them.” Clinique Claude Bernard, Ermont 4 5 › GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE / PRACTICAL INFORMATION › GETTING MEDICAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE / PRACTICAL INFORMATION Left to right : CHU d’Amiens - Centre Antoine Lacassagne, Centre de lutte contre le cancer de Nice - Institut de Cancérologie de l’Ouest, Nantes SHORT STAY VISA (SCHENGEN VISA) FOR MEDICAL REASONS To receive medical treatment What documents must be submitted ★ If applicable, proof of registration in France, it may be necessary with the request? on the national organ and cornea PRACTICAL ACCESS (depending on your nationality) to You will need to submit all basic transplant list provided by the obtain a short stay visa for medical documentation required for any medical/surgical team that will be With its two international airports, Paris INFORMATION reasons. short stay visa as well as specific performing the transplant. is a main entry point to France for many documentation pertaining to your foreign visitors. It is well connected to Who must obtain a visa? medical situation, which will be handled Is it mandatory to appear in person at all of the country’s major cities by air A visa is not required for European with absolute confidentiality. the consulate to make the request? LILLE and train. Union citizens. The European Union Yes, unless the traveller’s health ▸ 38 international airports in France, has also waived the visa requirement The following basic documentation is prevents doing so. two of which are in Paris; high-speed for citizens of certain countries (such required for all short stay visas: trains (TGV) available from Roissy as the United States and the United ★ Proof of accommodation in France What procedure should be followed Charles-de-Gaulle Airport to all major Arab Emirates) if the length of stay(s) ★ Proof of travel and repatriation for those accompanying the patient PARIS STRASBOURG cities in France. does not exceed 90 days in a 180-day insurance on the trip? period. Other nationalities are however ★ Proof of sufficient personal finances In addition to the documentation required ▸ All means of transport are available for RENNES subject to short-stay visas, for example : to cover daily expenses while in for a Schengen Visa, specific documentation getting around Paris and the surrounding Algeria, Saudi Arabia, Cameroon, China, France (payslips, bank statements, may be requested, including: metropolitan area (Île-de-France): train, ANGERS Ivory Coast, Egypt, Gabon, Kuwait, etc.) ★ Proof of a family relationship with NANTES RER, metro, tramway, bus and taxi. Lebanon, Morocco, Niger, Russia, ★ If applicable, documentation for the patient, or if no family ties exist, Connection is also available to all major Senegal and Tunisia. minors (birth certificate, parental a letter from the visa applicant French cities via high-speed train (TGV), authorization if the minor is traveling justifying the reason for coming CLERMONT- domestic flights and main motorways. without his or her parents) ★ Proof that costs related to the FERRAND LYON How do you obtain a visa? Visa requests must be made to the applicant will be covered by the organization covering the patient’s GRENOBLE competent French consulate in the Other documentation specific to your BORDEAUX ACCOMMODATION visitor’s home country. situation may be requested, such as: medical costs. ★ Written confirmation from the French France has a considerable offer of How long does the process take? healthcare facility that it will be It is possible to extend the visa? NICE hotels of all categories in all of its cities A response to a visa request is usually admitting the patient, with the dates An extension may be accorded on a BIARRITZ TOULOUSE MONTPELLIER and near to hospital facilities. It is also made within two to ten days. In