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PERMISSION TO STAY AT HOME WILL SOON ONLY BE ACCESSIBLE FROM YOUR DESIGNATED GP – BUT THE TIGHTER RULES HAVE BEEN MET WITH CRITICISM Workers will no longer be able to get sick notes online

except from their nominated GP (_médecin traitant_) from June 2023. Since the introduction of internet consultations (_téléconsultations_), there has been an “explosion” in the number of

sick notes (_arrêts de travail_) signed by doctors who are not the _médecin traitant_ of the person, said minister for public accounts Gabriel Attal. He said that such sick notes cost around

€100million last year. HOW DO SICK NOTES WORK IN FRANCE? In France, you are entitled to sick pay after three days if you have a doctor’s note explaining the illness or injury and how long

you will be off work. It applies to sickness, injuries at work or on the way to work, or job-related ailments such as stress or repetitive strain injuries. Independent workers are now

covered as long as they have paid social security for at least 12 months. Payouts vary according to the amount paid into social security. NEW LAW DOESN’T ADDRESS THE REAL PROBLEM Mr Attal

said the measure was to prevent workers having “a series of internet consultations until they find a doctor who will sign the note”. However, the move was criticised by some MPs, who said

the real problem to be addressed was a lack of doctors in rural areas. READ MORE: EIGHT FACTS TO UNDERSTAND FRANCE’S ISSUE OF ‘MEDICAL DESERTS’ An estimated 10% of people in France do not

have a _médecin traitant_, with some saying they have been unable to find a new one after the retirement of their previous doctor. RELATED ARTICLES Covid France: can I get a sick note while

waiting for a test result? My experience of ‘medical deserts’ in rural France Explainer: Why having a designated GP in France saves you money