France

Health systems in transition France 105
Fig. 4.1c
Use of hospital beds in acute care hospitals in France and selected countries,
1990–2013. (a) Acute care hospital beds per 100 000 population. a
(b) Average length of stay. (c) Bed occupancy rate.
90
Bed occupancy rate (%)
85
United Kingdom
80
75
Germany
Italy
EU
Spain
France
70
65
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Source: WHO Regional Office for Europe, 2015.
Note: In Fig 4.1a the data for France not available for 1990–1996.
The reduction in hospital capacity was most significant with respect to
long-term care beds, which decreased by 40% between 2003 and 2011 through
the transformation of certain units into nursing homes. Full-time psychiatric
hospitalization capacity also has diminished significantly since the mid-1980s as
a result of the French de-institutionalization policy (see section 5.11), accounting
for approximately 58 000 hospital beds in 2011. Between 2003 and 2011, the
number of part-time places increased by 2000, reaching 14 243.
4.1.3 Medical equipment
Purchase of major medical equipment is subject to authorization by the relevant
ARS (see section 2.8.6). Two-thirds of CT and MRI units are found in public
hospitals, although the number of MRI units is rapidly growing in private
hospitals because of advantageous SHI tariffs. PET scanners are less profitable
and so are less likely to be found in private hospitals. In 2011, the number of
major medical imaging technologies was lower relative to population size than