Income levels drop nearly 3% for private radiologists in France

The average noncommercial profit for private radiologists in France was calculated at 120,676 euros in 2019, down 2.79% compared with 2018, according to the annual report issued by the autonomous retirement fund for French doctors (Caisse Autonome de Retraite des Médecins de France, CARMF).

This has prompted the union of private radiologists (FNMR) to call for a fairer valuation of radiological acts, allowing more investment in equipment for patients. The union pointed to how the latest figures from the CARMF showed that the income of private radiologists had dropped one place to 11th position on the income scale of private doctors in France, and it thinks the 2020 figures are likely to be worse than those for 2019.

In a statement released on 1 April, the FNMR claims that this statistic counters the government's view that radiologists' incomes are too high. Furthermore, the union states that longstanding government policy based on this perception means that independent radiologists who must invest in their own equipment are finding it increasingly difficult to acquire high-end machines.

These investment restrictions, combined with an insufficient number of authorizations for the installation of MRI machines and CT scanners, have resulted in an increase in appointment times not just for MRI but also for other imaging techniques, the union stated. It further believes that France no longer has the best radiological equipment, impacting patient diagnosis and therapy.

The COVID-19 crisis has illustrated the central role of imaging and shows that the specialty must not be sacrificed in the name of false economies, the union stated. It stressed that in view of these income figures, the FNMR would not accept further devaluation of acts that could accentuate the decline in investments.