Why call on the Public Health Reserve?

Regionally, areas are regularly confronted with exceptional health situations: epidemics, major climate-related events, accidents, terrorist attacks, etc.

These situations can place significant strain on the healthcare system and require substantial human resources, for example:

• opening emergency reception units or additional beds;

• urgently opening a consultation or vaccination center, or a call center;

• managing a massive influx of patients and families;

• reorganizing and implementing new flows of patients, specimens, electronic data, healthcare products, and equipment between facilities and departments;

• providing follow-up care and support for vulnerable individuals at home or in residential facilities (outreach services).

When these situations become prolonged, they lead to burnout among teams, who are sometimes themselves affected by the event.
They also place heavy demands on government agencies (particularly the ARS), which must coordinate a response to a crisis—often complex and rapidly evolving—seven days a week.

To carry out these activities throughout the duration of the crisis, these agencies can call upon various professionals registered in the Health Reserve. Healthcare professionals who will take turns providing their assistance and expertise to the units that need it: additional healthcare staff within departments, support for hygiene teams, home care teams, and transportation teams, support for laboratory, imaging, and pharmacy units, support for call centers or dispatch centers, and even methodological, engineering, or scientific support.

Who calls upon the Health Reserve?

During an exceptional health crisis, the regional health agency continuously assesses the healthcare system’s capacity to handle the situation and develops appropriate responses.

When the ARS determines that local stakeholders are at risk of being overwhelmed or exhausted, it may request assistance from Santé publique France to obtain support from the Health Reserve. The ARS may also request this support when the event requires a rapid and/or large-scale response, provided that standard local resources are insufficient.

The Ministry of Health may also request the mobilization of the Health Reserve for the same reasons.

How is the Health Reserve mobilized?

Article L. 3134-2 of the Public Health Code describes how to call upon the Health Reserve. The ARS may submit a request for mobilization to the Ministry of Health or directly to Santé publique France via the email address alerte@santepubliquefrance.fr. When the ARS submits a request directly to Santé publique France, Santé publique France prepares a cost estimate and sends it to the ARS. If the ARS accepts this quote, the ARS drafts a reasoned decision calling upon the Health Reserve. Santé publique France then contacts reservists in the required professions, selects candidates, and deploys them.

How are reservists called up and selected? Who handles the logistics and administrative aspects?

Santé publique France, the national public health agency, is responsible for calling up and selecting reservists. Santé publique France sends a mission order to the selected reservists and handles the logistical and administrative operations: transportation, accommodation, compensation, etc. These candidates may come from all over France.

Who manages the reservists once they arrive on site?

During a mobilization in France, reservists are assigned to the ARS. Reservists may work directly within a healthcare facility or a medical-social facility but remain assigned to the ARS.

The ARS therefore ensures the reception and integration of reservists at the various deployment sites, monitors the mission, reassigns reinforcements if necessary during the period, and ensures a return to normal operations at the various deployment sites. The ARS, which issued the request for reinforcements, assesses the impact of these reinforcements on healthcare provision and public health in the affected region.

Who covers the costs incurred by a Health Reserve mission?

Depending on the type of operation and the type of requesting entity, costs may be covered by Santé publique France, the requesting ARS, or any other authority (please contact us).

Who should you contact for more information?

To discuss a potential deployment or obtain a quote, ARS offices can contact the Alert and Crisis Division of Santé publique France 24/7: alerte@santepubliquefrance.fr