Direction Santé

Direction Santé Helping you to navigate healthcare in France

Octobre Rose is a campaign that raises awareness of breast cancer and funds research.​It's the most common cancer among ...
01/10/2025

Octobre Rose is a campaign that raises awareness of breast cancer and funds research.

It's the most common cancer among women, ​ however survival rates are excellent with early detection.

In France systematic screening is offered to women between the ages of 50 and 74. ​ This is covered 100% by social security and no upfront payment is required.

If you fall within this age range you should receive a letter every two years, inviting you for a mammogram. ​ You can make the appointment by contacting one of the radiography departments listed in your letter.

It's ​ important to check your breasts regularly. ​ I've attached a link below for information:
https://breastcancernow.org/about-breast-cancer/touch-look-check

If you notice any difference in your breasts, please contact your GP for an appointment.

Please don't hesitate to contact me should you need help with anything health-related.

The union which represents pharmacists, the Union des Syndicats de Pharmaciens d'Officine (USPO) has called for pharmaci...
12/08/2025

The union which represents pharmacists, the Union des Syndicats de Pharmaciens d'Officine (USPO) has called for pharmacies to strike on Saturday 16th August in protest against new government measures aimed at lowering their margins on medicines.

Because Friday 15th is a public holiday, this means a potential of 3 days without access to a pharmacy.

Please check with your pharmacy to see if they are affected. ​

You can contact the pharmacie de garde to by dialling 32 37

You can read more about it here : https://actu.fr/normandie/noues-de-sienne_14658/des-pharmacies-en-greve-pres-de-vire-normandie-des-ce-samedi-16-aout_63021201.html

Directions anticipées - ​ living will​In France an adult can write their ‘directions anticipées’ at any time, detailing ...
02/07/2025

Directions anticipées - ​ living will

In France an adult can write their ‘directions anticipées’ at any time, detailing medical treatment that they would or would not wish to receive at the end of their life.

The document would only be referred to it if the person is unable to express their wishes and health professionals are bound by law to respect the choices made within it.

If this is something that you would like to do, you can ask your GP to help you complete the form, an example of which can be downloaded here: ​

https://www.baclesse.fr/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/COM-PAT-0470-02_FORM_Directives_anticipees.pdf

It’s important that you let your loved ones or 'personne de confiance' know where to find your ‘directions anticipées’ so that they may be easily accessed if required.

It’s also advisable to upload them to your Mon Espace Santé account.

I hope you've found this information helpful.

Don't hesitate to get in touch, should you require assistance with anything health related.

Who/what is a Personne de Confiance?​A Personne de Confiance is someone who may, upon your request, assist you with any ...
27/06/2025

Who/what is a Personne de Confiance?

A Personne de Confiance is someone who may, upon your request, assist you with any health-related matters and receive medical information on your behalf.

If you are unable to express yourself, this person will be consulted before anyone else with regard to your wishes and they will act as a point of contact for a medical team if they have questions about starting, continuing, or stopping treatment. ​ The Personne de Confiance does not have the responsibility of making medical decisions, however, their testimony will be listened to above any other person, including family and loved ones.

Any adult can be designated a Personne de Confiance. ​ This could be a close friend, a relative or your GP. ​ The appointment must be made in writing and signed by both parties. ​ They must also understand the responsibility of this role and the strict duty of confidentiality concerning any medical information they receive.

If you designate Personne de Confiance it is vitally important that you communicate with them and that they fully understand your choices and wishes so that they can act on your behalf should the moment arise. They should also be given a copy of your Directives Anticipées - a document which outlines your end of life wishes.

It’s important that your health professionals are informed if you have chosen a Personne de Confiance and that you upload the details to your Mon Espace Santé account.

You can change your Personne de Confiance at any time, and this must be done in writing. ​

If you are admitted to hospital, you will be asked to designate a Personne de Confiance and this will be valid for the period of your hospitalisation, although you are not obliged to do so.

​I hope you've found this information helpful.

Don't hesitate to get in touch if you need help with a health-related matter.

A Médicobus (mobile health centre) has been introduced to France to provide access to patient care, primarily for those ...
20/05/2025

A Médicobus (mobile health centre) has been introduced to France to provide access to patient care, primarily for those people without a registered GP who live in rural areas. ​ The bus is equipped with a doctor and a medical assistant.

The doctors on our local bus are employees of and affiliated with the Vassy Intercommunal Health Centre.

At each stop there will be a waiting room, which will accessible for those with reduced mobility.

If you'd like to make use of this service, you can book an appointment by calling: 02 31 66 12 55 or going online to: https://www.maiia.com/cabinet-medical/14410-valdalliere/medicobus-vire-au-noireau

The consultation stops are:

Condé-sur-Noireau : Mairie – 2 Place de l’hôtel de ville
Landelles-et-Coupigny : Cabinet médical – Rue du centre
Saint-Germain-de-Tallevende : Cabinet d’infirmiers/ostéopathes – 190 rue Bernard Amand
Saint-Martin-des-Besaces : Salle Pierre Madeleine – 8 rue de la Mairie
Saint-Pierre-la-Vieille : Mairie – Le Bourg
Truttemer-le-Grand : Mairie – 10 Rue de l’École
Vire : Quartier du Val de Vire Centre socio-culturel – 137 rue la Sorrière

I hope you found this helpful.

Please don't hesitate to contact me should you need assistance with navigating healthcare in France.

Here are a few facts about the Carte Vitale:It was introduced as chip card in 1998 to allow direct and automated settlem...
22/04/2025

Here are a few facts about the Carte Vitale:

It was introduced as chip card in 1998 to allow direct and automated settlement of costs associated with the French healthcare system.

In 2008 a photo of the holder was introduced.

A Carte Vitale is issued free of charge to any person covered under the French social security system from the age of 16 (or 12 upon request). Children under this age can be covered under one or both of their parents' cards.

Your social security number is printed on the card and starts with a 1 if you're male or 2 if you're female. The other numbers include your year and month of birth and where you were born.

The card contains purely administrative information which relates to your rights to healthcare and reimbursement.

Your card needs to be updated once a year, or after a change of circumstances, such as a new name, address etc .. You can request this at any pharmacy by asking for a 'mise à jour'.

You need to present your card any time that you receive health related care and the costs incurred will automatically be transmitted to your local social security health insurance office (CPAM) for processing.

If you have a top up/mutuelle insurance you will be reimbursed automatically, so long as your insurer has passed on the details to CPAM.

If you forget to take your card to an appointment or the pharmacy, you will need to ask for a feuille de soins (brown form) which can be sent to local CPAM office for reimbursement.

If you lose your card or it becomes damaged you can request a replacement via the Ameli website.

The rollout of a digital card was introduced this month, but it's currently only available to those people in possession of a French ID card.

I hope you found this useful. The French health system can be quite complicated, especially when you're new to it.

Please don't hesitate to contact me should you require any assistance.

With nearly 95% of bowel cancers ‘cancer colorectal’ being diagnosed after the age of 50 in both men and women, the Mars...
08/03/2025

With nearly 95% of bowel cancers ‘cancer colorectal’ being diagnosed after the age of 50 in both men and women, the Mars Bleu campaign promotes screening, which is essential for early diagnosis.

Free testing in offered from the age of 50 up to 74 as part of a screening program in France and is repeated every 2 years.

You can pick up your screening kit from your GP, local pharmacy, or online at: https://monkit.depistage-colorectal.fr/ #/accueil

The test is done at home. ​ It’s easy, painless, and only takes a few minutes. ​ Here’s a link to a short video showing you how it's done : https://monkit.depistage-colorectal.fr/ #/mode-demploi-du-test

If you receive an invitation for a test, please don’t put off doing it. ​ Screening can detect the presence of blood in the stool caused by a polyp before it turns into cancer or detect cancer at an early stage. Detected early, colorectal/bowel cancer can be cured in 9 out of 10 cases and with less severe treatments

Charges are now in place for parking at both the Clinique Notre Dame in Vire and the Hôpital Privé de la Baie in Avranch...
09/02/2025

Charges are now in place for parking at both the Clinique Notre Dame in Vire and the Hôpital Privé de la Baie in Avranches

The tarifs for both sites are:

First 30 minutes FREE
Every 15 minutes after that will be charged at 30 centimes

When you arrive at the car park you will need to press for a ticket. ​ On leaving, you can either pay at the machine, or go directly to the exit and pay by bank card.

If you or a family member is receiving intensive medical care charges may be waived.

I just want to say a really big 'Thank You' to all of my fabulous clients for putting their trust in me and for making m...
31/12/2024

I just want to say a really big 'Thank You' to all of my fabulous clients for putting their trust in me and for making me feel really proud to do the work that I do.

Here are just a few things that I've been helping with this year:

Making appointments with healthcare professionals
Accompanying clients to appointments with GP's and specialists
Booking transport for hospital visits
Arranging district nurses visits
Blue badge applications
Appointments to get a free hearing aid and glasses
Applications for a Carte Vitale
Writing letters to medical insurers
The hiring of wheelchairs and medical equipment
Weekly phone calls to check that someone is ok

If you need help with any of the above or something else health related, please feel free to contact me for a no obligation chat.

Wishing you a happy and healthy 2025!

This time of year isn't easy for everyone, and I just wanted to take the time to send you my best wishes for Christmas a...
23/12/2024

This time of year isn't easy for everyone, and I just wanted to take the time to send you my best wishes for Christmas and New Year, however and with whomever you're spending it.

Here are a few useful phone numbers in case you need a doctor or pharmacy during the festive period:

116117
To contact a doctor out of normal working hours if you live in Normandy

15
For medical emergencies, or if you don't live in Normandy and need to see a doctor out of hours

3237
To find a pharmacy that's open

Best wishes, Julie x

Did you know that in France it's possible to get glasses, dental prosthetics and hearing aids completely free of charge?...
16/12/2024

Did you know that in France it's possible to get glasses, dental prosthetics and hearing aids completely free of charge?

The scheme is called 100% Santé and has been fully in place since January 2021.

WHO CAN BENEFIT?

Anyone with a Carte Vitale and either a mutuelle insurance* or a complémentaire santé solidaire can benefit from this scheme.

*95% of all mutuelle insurances cover this, but you if you're not sure you can contact your insurer for confirmation.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

When you visit an optician, dentist or hearing specialist ask what is available under the 100% Santé scheme. ​ Provided that they adhere, they will have a range of products that are labelled 100% Santé. You present your Carte Vitale and a copy of your mutuelle insurance and there is nothing to pay.

I'd be really interested to hear about your experiences with this scheme.

Please don't hesitate to contact me if you need any help navigating healthcare in France.

Do you know which number to call in the event of an emergency?​Here's a quick rundown of which numbers do what:​18 - Fre...
03/12/2024

Do you know which number to call in the event of an emergency?

Here's a quick rundown of which numbers do what:

18 - French Fire Brigade (Sapeurs Pompiers)
Call 18 for situations requiring rapid interventions/rescue, such as:
Fire/extreme burns
Gas leak
Risk of collapse/burial
Electrocution
Road accident
The French Fire Brigade are able to coordinate all emergency services and have trained paramedics. In rural France, they are often very swift to respond.

15 - SAMU (Service d'Aide Médicale Urgente)
Call the SAMU for a response to critical health and medical situations, which may include:
Urgent medical emergencies
Coma
Haemorrhage
Severe chest pain
Breathing difficulties or when someone has stopped breathing
Extreme burns
Poisoning

112 - ​ European Emergency Number
Operators responding to this number will often be able to communicate with you in English. ​ They can offer assistance and redirect your call to the appropriate emergency service where necessary.

17 - Police
Dial 17 to report a crime that requires an immediate police response, such as:
Violence/Assault
Burglary
Snatching/Pickpocketing/Mugging

114 - European Emergency Number - hard of hearing or difficulty speaking
If you have difficulty speaking or hearing you can connect the emergency services by text using the number 114. ​

If you or someone you know would benefit from accessing the emergency services in this way you can download the application 'Urgences 114" or register on the website www.urgences114.fr

196 - Coastguard (Savetage en mer)
Call 196 to reach the French coastguard (centre opérationnel de surveillance et de sauvetage en mer - CROSS), as either a witness to or victim of:
Distress or emergency at sea
Missing persons
Anything observed at sea that seems abnormal

I hope this information helps you feel more ready to contact the emergency services in France should you ever need to.

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