Princess Grace Hospital comes out of health crisis “much more effective”

According to the CHPG’s director, 94% of the patients give the health facility a score of over 8/10.

Princess Grace Hospital was bustling on Tuesday 24 January. And with good reason: after a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the hospital was able to renew with tradition by holding the annual ceremony of New Year greetings to the staff by the Director.

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Present at the ceremony were Prince Albert II, the President of the National Council, Brigitte Boccone-Pagès, the President of the Crown Council, Michel Boeri, the Prince’s First Privy Councillor, Emmanuel Falco, the Minister for Health and Social Affairs, Christophe Robino, the Mayor, Georges Marsan, and many other key figures from the Principality.

Benoîte de Sévelinges, the hospital’s Director, spoke first. “It is hard to put into words what a pleasure it is to be with you again for this ceremony (…) after three years of crisis,” she began. “The Covid crisis has shown the public what the CHPG is all about: a responsive, highly efficient institution with technological and, above all, human strengths. (…) For almost three years, the Principality of Monaco has been able to count on a solid hospital, whose agility has been pivotal to maintaining economic and social activities, at a time when practically the whole world had abandoned non-essential activities, and it is a much more effective hospital that has emerged from the crisis.”

In fact in 2022, the CHPG cared for 82,000 patients, including 20,000 new ones. And while the establishment has not yet returned to pre-2019 levels, the trend “is encouraging”.  According to the director, 90% of patients recommend the CHPG to their friends and family and 94% give the establishment a score of over 8/10.

A hospital system reform in line with the Principality’s needs

The main innovation mentioned during the ceremony was the Pasteur de la Santé, a reform that provides a more generous system than in France. “The Principality now has its own rules, which are in line with its needs, its ambitions and its social model. From now on, doctors are eligible for retirement at the age of 60. Healthcare professionals will still be able to choose between retirement from 55 or 60. Career paths have been accelerated for all hospital practitioners, who have better promotion prospects. In 2022, each of the employees in the structure received a salary increase and a career advancement,” added Benoite de Sévelinges.

Benoite de Sévelinges also gave an update on the new medical facilities at the CHPG: a prostate centre and pelvic centre to provide patients with a precise diagnosis in a timely manner, and a personalised and coordinated care pathway.

These should be deployed in 2023 to treat complex pathologies such as endometriosis, transient ischaemic attack and spinal disorders. The electronic patient record should also be fully rolled out over the course of the year.

Thanks to donations, the CHPG was also able to invest 20 million euros in biomedical equipment, enabling it, in particular, to replace a surgical robot, acquire a second one, and set up an interventional cardiology platform, combining 3D technology and magnetisation.

“Healthcare is one of the major factors in the Principality’s attractiveness”

In conclusion, the Director was able to give an update on the building works that have been completed and that are underway, in preparation of the new hospital, scheduled to open in 2026.  “The psychiatric department is partially refurbished,” she said. “It will be fully operational by the time phase 1 of the new hospital opens. The Covid crisis led us to carry out new modernisations in the pneumology department and it took just a summer to create the surgical critical care unit, which was a real lifeline during the most critical periods. (…) The phased operations in the Princess Grace Pavilion are now complete, providing four floors of refurbished inpatient units.”

The Sovereign Prince also made a speech, praising the dedication and professionalism of the hospital staff. “During the long weeks of confinement, we applauded you every evening at 8 pm, and perhaps you were afraid you might be forgotten. This is obviously not the case. Healthcare is one of the major factors in the Principality’s attractiveness,” declared the Prince, stressing the importance for hospital and retirement homes “to have the resources to meet the challenges they face.”

The Sovereign also mentioned the Principality’s main areas of investment in healthcare: the fight against cyber-attacks on healthcare establishments, with IT systems that are capable of withstanding them, the fight against obesity and addictions through prevention, and work carried out in the environmental field to “control and prevent factors that are likely to affect the health of current and future generations.”

The ceremony ended on an emotional note with three songs performed by the CHPG choir, followed by informal discussions at the buffet table.