Advice, testimonials and guides
for doctors who want to structure their practice
30 articles to understand unscheduled care, open a centre, work independently and grow your medical practice.
Open a centre
12 articlesSetting up your own independent unscheduled-care medical centre: the essential steps
For an entrepreneurial doctor, this reality is a well-documented opportunity. Data from the DREES and CNAM make it possible to pinpoint the areas where the supply of immediate care…
Complete checklist to open an unscheduled-care centre: from idea to opening
Defining the centre’s scope: conditions treated, limits of care, and referral arrangements for situations beyond that scope.
How to choose the right location for an unscheduled-care centre: the key criteria
An unscheduled-care centre welcomes patients who have not booked an appointment. Accessibility is therefore essential — but it must be analysed in all its dimensions.
The 5 mistakes to avoid when opening an unscheduled-care centre
One of the most common mistakes is setting an opening date without allowing for how long the administrative formalities really take.
Funding an unscheduled-care centre: health agencies, regional grants and bank financing
Regional health agencies (ARS) have dedicated budgets to support primary care provision, particularly in areas identified as underserved.
Opening your own centre or joining an existing network: how to decide
Joining a centre that is already running has one defining feature: the structure is operational. The premises exist, the diagnostic facilities are in place and the processes are established.
Building a multi-site network: from one centre to several
Timing is decisive. Opening a second centre before the first one has stabilised spreads resources thin and can weaken both structures at once.
Unscheduled care, SAS, CPTS, multi-professional health centres: the differences explained to doctors
The multi-professional health centre is defined by article L.6323-3 of the French Public Health Code. It brings together, in one place or across an area, primary care health professionals…
How much does it cost to open an unscheduled-care centre? A detailed budget
The budget for opening an unscheduled-care centre: premises, diagnostic facilities, legal set-up, recruitment and working capital. A clear view of the costs to plan for.
An unscheduled-care centre in a rural area: opportunities and challenges
Opening a centre in a rural area: the opportunities (medical deserts, regional funding) and the challenges (recruitment, diagnostic facilities, accessibility).
Taking over an existing unscheduled-care centre: the buyer’s checklist
Taking over a centre that is already trading: checklist, legal and medical due diligence, valuation and transition. Every step for the buyer.
Practice & career
9 articlesMoving from employee to independent status: the practical guide for doctors
As an independent doctor, the practitioner is no longer employed by an institution: they work on their own account, bill their procedures to the health insurance and to patients, contribute to funds…
Can you combine hospital work with practising in an unscheduled-care centre?
This text distinguishes independent practice within the hospital (option 1 of the hospital-practitioner contract) from independent practice outside the hospital — in a structure…
Pay for a doctor in an unscheduled-care centre: how does it work?
A walk-in general-practice consultation (CS) is set at €26.50 in sector 1 following the 2023 fee increase.
GPs and unscheduled care: a natural evolution of the practice
GPs deal with this reality every day, usually by squeezing urgent consultations into a diary already full of scheduled appointments — a set-up under constant strain, where…
Hospital emergency physicians: what alternatives are there to practise differently?
France’s national health authority (HAS) and several parliamentary reports have documented burnout among emergency physicians: some of the highest rates in the profession, high turnover…
Why more and more doctors are leaving traditional practice for an unscheduled-care centre
The time available for actual care tends to shrink in a traditional private practice — not for lack of willingness, but because of non-clinical tasks.
“I opened my own centre at 38”: a Censomed doctor’s experience
Thomas spent ten years in solo private practice in a mid-sized town in the Languedoc. He had an established patient base, premises he had fitted out at his own expense, and an organisation…
Fee agreements: sector 1 or sector 2 for an unscheduled-care centre?
Sector 1, sector 2 or OPTAM: comparing the fee agreements for an unscheduled-care centre. The impact on your patient base, your income and your practice.
Management & operations
12 articlesA typical day in a Censomed unscheduled-care centre
The day starts before the first patient. Opening a Censomed centre follows a well-honed protocol that ensures every consultation can begin under good conditions from the very first…
Which patients are treated in an unscheduled-care centre?
A non-life-threatening emergency is an acute medical situation that requires medical care within the following hours, but with no immediate risk to the patient’s life.
What is an unscheduled-care centre? Definition and how it works
There is currently no single regulatory definition of “unscheduled care” in French law. In practice, the term covers any medical consultation whose need arises…
Diagnostic facilities in an unscheduled-care centre: X-ray, ultrasound and laboratory tests
In an unscheduled-care centre the situation is different: the patient arrives with an acute problem that needs an immediate answer.
Day-to-day accounting in a centre: what the doctor should keep an eye on
An accountant specialised in healthcare professionals handles several essential tasks: keeping the books, filing the annual tax return, tracking social contributions,…
The indicators for running your centre: activity, finances and quality
Hospital doctors work in a structure that produces management data by default: departmental activity dashboards, division reports and national case-mix data.
Fitting into the local health ecosystem: partnerships and territorial coordination
Three main risks threaten a centre that fails to connect with its local medical environment.
Out-of-hours cover and on-call duty in a centre: what the doctor needs to know
Out-of-hours primary care (PDSA) is defined by article L.6314-1 of the French Public Health Code. It refers to the arrangements that ensure continuity of medical care…
Recruiting doctors for your centre: attracting and retaining practitioners
The operating model of an unscheduled-care centre is built on sessions — defined time slots during which a doctor is present.
Finding and hosting locum doctors in an unscheduled-care centre
Locum work in a centre can take two different forms, which do not have the same organisational implications.
Adding telemedicine to a centre: tele-expertise and remote consultations
Before 2018, telemedicine was not reimbursed by the French health insurance system in private practice. Decree no. 2018-788 of 13 September 2018 changed that by creating the…
Practice management software for an unscheduled-care centre: how to choose
How should you choose the management software for an unscheduled-care centre? Walk-in scheduling, electronic claims, accounting and diagnostic facilities.
Regions
2 articlesA question after reading?
Do the articles raise questions? Let’s talk about what specifically concerns you — your project, your area, your situation.