The Court of Auditors paints a worrying picture of the quality of healthcare in France. Each year, 13 million patients are treated in nearly 3,000 facilities, but the system's shortcomings generate significant costs and risks. Avoidable harm (rehospitalizations, errors, compensation claims, etc.) is estimated at over €11 billion, and hospital-acquired infections cause at least 4,000 deaths annually, a figure that is likely an underestimate.
The report highlights a lack of transparency in the reporting of serious adverse events, which are still too rarely recorded and analyzed. The Court recommends introducing financial penalties for facilities that fail to comply with this obligation. It also estimates that unnecessary or low-value-added care costs €22 billion.
The judges denounce the absence of a coherent national strategy for quality of care. The fragmented management, spread across numerous stakeholders, limits the effectiveness of the actions undertaken. Structural difficulties (staff shortages, skills gaps, service closures) are further exacerbating the situation. Hospitals must reconcile providing local care for an aging population with the increasing specialization of treatments, an equation deemed "unsustainable."
While assessment tools exist, their use remains uneven and their impact limited. Territorial disparities persist, with healthcare provision sometimes poorly adapted to local needs.
Faced with these weaknesses, the Court calls for strengthened national oversight, improved incident reporting, and a reorganization of hospital services at the local level, in order to build a truly comprehensive policy for the quality and safety of care.
 Sophie de Duiéry
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28/04/2026 | 
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