Emergency room in France: patients wait an average of 3 hours and 10 minutes for treatment

Paris – 02.06.2026: The average waiting time in French emergency departments reached a new high in 2023. A study by the French Ministry of Health showed that patients have to wait an average of 3 hours and 10 minutes until the start of medical treatment. This represents an increase of about one hour compared to data from 2013.

The study not only describes the total duration until treatment, but also provides detailed insight into the various phases of the stay. Half of the patients wait less than 8 minutes for an initial assessment, the so-called triage. After this assessment, an average of less than 16 minutes elapses until the actual start of treatment. In total, the time between registration and the start of treatment is less than 30 minutes for half of the patients. On the other hand, about 10 percent of emergency patients experience waiting times of more than two hours.

Depending on the course of the stay, the length of stay varies considerably. Patients who are discharged home after treatment stay an average of 2 hours and 30 minutes in the emergency department. Significantly longer is the length of stay for those who are admitted: their average stay exceeds five hours. The situation proves to be particularly problematic for patients who are transferred to short observation units. Here, the average length of stay is now almost 15 hours.

The study identifies several causes for the increasing waiting times. Structural problems in the French healthcare system play an important role. In particular, there is a shortage of general practitioners, which leads many patients to choose the emergency department as their first point of contact for medical complaints, even if these are not acute. The increasing group of older patients with often more complex health problems also contributes to longer stays. The staff and infrastructure overload in the emergency department thus leads to an increase in waiting times and makes rapid care delivery more difficult.

The growing waiting times in the emergency department raise questions about the continuity and quality of care. Longer waiting times can, especially in critical cases, negatively affect treatment outcomes. Experts therefore advocate improving organization and stronger cooperation between outpatient and inpatient care to reduce pressure on emergency structures. At the same time, more resources must be deployed to meet the increasing demands. The available data make clear the challenges currently faced by the French healthcare system.

The results of the study have been taken up by various media, including the websites of Drees and the Ministry of Health, as well as reports in renowned French daily newspapers. They provide an important basis for political decisions aimed at improving emergency care and increasing patient satisfaction.