In some regions, securing an appointment with a general practitioner has become a real ordeal, if not outright impossible. This is the daily reality for millions of French citizens. In response to this alarming observation, the 2026 Social Security Financing Law has given rise to a mechanism with ambitious goals: France Santé. But behind this name, what exactly lies hidden?
- The 2026 PLFSS creates a network of France Santé-labeled structures (socio-health houses, health centers, pharmacies) to strengthen access to primary care.
- The objective is to reach 5,000 France Santé Houses by 2027, with 150 million euros allocated from 2026 and 102 structures already labeled in Île-de-France.
- The scheme also strengthens non-scheduled urban care and extends funding to pharmacies outside fragile zones, amid tensions with liberal doctors’ unions.
- Medical deserts: a French problem that is getting worse
- France Santé, the new face of primary care
- What this scheme will change on the ground
Medical deserts: a French problem that is getting worse
The term medical desert designates a very real reality in numerous regions where access to a treating physician becomes a genuine puzzle. Faced with this growing pressure on the healthcare system, public authorities sought a structural answer. It is in this tense context that the PLFSS 2026 was adopted on December 16, 2025 by the National Assembly, with the national health insurance expenditure objective raised to 3.1%. The text did not pass smoothly, provoking strong reactions among liberal physicians, some unions denouncing an attack on private medicine and even calling for a strike in early January 2026.
France Santé, the new face of primary care
This is where the much-discussed mechanism enters the scene. Concretely, the law creates a national network of France Santé-labeled structures, intended to strengthen access to first-contact care across the country. The idea is not to build gleaming new buildings everywhere, but to rely on existing infrastructure: health houses, health centers, and even certain pharmacies can obtain this valuable label, provided they meet a precise national specification. In practice, these facilities must offer a core service package and may sign an agreement with the ARS and Health Insurance. The ambition is clear: to reach 5,000 France Santé Houses by 2027, with deployment already underway in some regions. In Île-de-France, for instance, 102 structures have already been labeled by the ARS as of December 2025, proof that the administrative machinery had started moving even before the law formally took effect.
What this scheme will change on the ground
On paper, the financial commitment follows suit, with 150 million euros allocated in 2026 to fund the development of this network. But France Santé is not limited to a simple labeling process. Other measures complement the scheme, such as strengthening non-scheduled urban care facilities, and extending funding to pharmacies located beyond fragile zones. Concretely, the objective is to redraw access to local care. Here are the main components that accompany this new network:
- Labeling of existing structures according to a national set of criteria
- Signing agreements with the ARS and Health Insurance
- Strengthening non-scheduled urban care
- Extending funding to pharmacies outside fragile zones
It remains to be seen whether this network will be enough to bridge the gap that has widened for years. Between union tensions and ambitious targets for 2027, France Santé is poised to be one of the most scrutinized undertakings in the health sector.
