paris, France – Practitioner Action Hospital (APH) has sharply contrasted the Federation of Public Hospitals (FHF)’s assessment of the summer 2025 hospital situation, expressing deep concern over conditions and mortality rates. The APH critique follows the FHF’s recent press conference presenting its summer report, which some outlets characterized with “encouraging signals.”
APH contends the FHF’s optimism doesn’t reflect the reality experienced by frontline caregivers. The organization points to a summer emergency crisis-a recurring issue-and a concerning rise in excess mortality,attributing a significant factor to patients waiting extended periods on stretchers for hospital beds.
specifically, APH cites 480 excess deaths in july 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, partially attributing this to the heatwave but questioning if other risk factors are at play. The group highlighted a 2023 study by Pr Freund,published internationally,detailing the negative consequences for patients spending even a single night on a stretcher,and warns of a cumulative effect when patients remain for 24 hours or more,particularly in emergency rooms exceeding 30°C with reduced staffing.
“As frequently enough we do not share neither the feeling nor the relative optimism of our colleagues hospital and the FHF on the summer crisis that we have all suffered,” stated APH. “We unfortunately believe that we are much closer to the truth of what we are undergoing and what we do to the sick because we are not in the moon we are simply caregivers and field practitioners well anchored in the realities of our daily life.”
APH is urging journalists to provide a counter-narrative to the FHF’s viewpoint, arguing the current situation in hospitals and medico-social services is worsening, not improving.
The APH press release and a related letter to the FHF are available for review:
https://toute-la.veille-acteurs-sante.fr/files/2025/09/APH-courrier-FHF-temps-de-travail-décision-CE.pdf
