Psychiatric emergencies: "serious failings" at several Paris-region hospitals
A report by France's prisons watchdog condemns patient care that fails to ensure their "dignity" or "privacy", amid staff and bed shortages in psychiatry.
The Paris region's hospitals are facing severe shortcomings in handling psychiatric emergencies, according to a report released by the General Controller of Places of Deprivation of Liberty (CGLPL). The report highlights unacceptable conditions, such as patients lying on the floor, being kept on stretchers, and arbitrary detention, which violate patients' dignity and privacy.
In early July, CGLPL conducted inspections at several Paris hospitals, including Cochin, Robert-Debré, Necker, La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Sainte-Anne, Delafontaine, and Henri-Mondor. They found that staff shortages, resource constraints, and insufficient psychiatric beds were contributing to poor care conditions.
During the first half of 2026, 3,957 patients requiring psychiatric care faced lengthy waits in emergency departments across Île-de-France, up 31.8% compared to 2025. The average waiting time rose to 39 hours in the second quarter, from 29 hours at the beginning of 2025. In some hospitals, patients could remain in A&E for up to ten days while awaiting a bed.
Sainte-Anne hospital saw 60% of psychiatric emergency patients waiting over 13 hours, and 20% waiting more than 48 hours. The report emphasizes the detrimental effects of these delays, which can lead patients to abandon treatment and disrupt continuity of care. The CGLPL urges the urgent implementation of organizational, infrastructural, capacity, and human resources improvements.
Furthermore, the report reveals that some patients are being held without consent in violation of the legal framework. Additionally, seclusion or restraint measures are employed without proper legal authorization. CGLPL recommends that hospitals develop comprehensive policies to replace these practices and provide enhanced staff training.
The agency is particularly concerned about the situation of children and adolescents, as many minors are admitted to mixed wards with adult patients due to a shortage of child psychiatrists and suitable facilities. They are advocating for a distinct legal status for these young patients and a plan to revitalize child and adolescent psychiatry.
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