French Emergency Rooms: Patients Wait an Average of 3 Hours and 10 Minutes for Treatment

Paris – June 2, 2026: In 2023, the average waiting time in French emergency rooms reached a new high. A survey by the French Ministry of Health showed that the average waiting time from arrival to the start of medical treatment was 3 hours and 10 minutes. This is about an hour longer than the data from 2013.

This study not only described the total waiting time for treatment but also provided detailed insights into the various stages of the visit. The data shows that half of the patients waited less than 8 minutes for an initial assessment, known as triage. After the assessment, actual treatment began in an average of less than 16 minutes. Overall, half of the patients waited less than 30 minutes from registration to treatment start. On the other hand, around 10% of emergency patients waited more than two hours.

Significant differences in length of stay exist depending on the type of visit. Patients discharged after treatment spent an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes in the emergency area. Those who were hospitalized stayed noticeably longer, with an average exceeding five hours. The situation was particularly severe for patients transferred to short-stay observation units, with an average stay of nearly 15 hours.

The study identified multiple causes for the increased waiting times. Structural problems in the French healthcare system play a key role, especially the shortage of general practitioners, which leads many patients to choose emergency rooms as their primary care location, even when their condition is not urgent. In addition, the growing number of elderly patients and their complex health conditions have also contributed to longer stays. Emergency room staff and infrastructure are overloaded, further extending waiting times and hindering rapid treatment.

The extended emergency waiting times have raised concerns about healthcare coverage and service quality. Longer waits may negatively affect the treatment outcomes of severe cases. Experts call for optimized organizational management and strengthened coordination between outpatient and inpatient services to alleviate emergency room pressure. At the same time, more resources should be invested to meet the increasing demand. The current data clearly shows the challenges facing the French healthcare system.

The results of this study have been reported by several media outlets, including Drees and the official website of the Ministry of Health as well as several well-known French daily newspapers. The research provides an important basis for developing policies to improve emergency services and increase patient satisfaction.