Section 1: Code of medical ethics

The usual place of practice of a doctor is that of the professional residence in respect of which he is registered on the roll of the Departmental Council, in accordance with article L. 4112-1. A doctor may carry out his professional activity on one or more sites separate from his usual professional residence, provided that he sends a prior declaration of the opening of a separate place of practice to…

A doctor or a student who has replaced one of his colleagues for three months, whether consecutive or not, must not, for a period of two years, set up in a practice where he may enter into direct competition with the doctor replaced and with the doctors who, where applicable, practice in association with the latter, unless there is an agreement between the parties concerned which must be notified to…

The doctor may enlist the help of a self-employed collaborating doctor, under the conditions set out in article 18 of law no. 2005-882 of 2 August 2005 in favour of small and medium-sized enterprises, or of an employed collaborating doctor. Each of them carries out his medical activity in complete independence and in compliance with the rules of the profession, in particular the free choice of doctor and the prohibition…

The doctor may, with authorisation, be assisted in his practice by another doctor when the needs of public health so require, in the event of an exceptional influx of people, or when, temporarily, his state of health so warrants. Authorisation is granted by the Departmental Council for a renewable period of three months. If the Departmental Council remains silent for two months on the application for authorisation or renewal, this…

It is forbidden for a doctor to have his practice managed by a colleague. However, the departmental council may authorise, for a period of three months, which may be renewable once, the running by a doctor of the practice of a colleague who has died or is prevented for serious health reasons from continuing his practice.

A doctor must not set up practice in a building where a colleague in the same discipline is practising without the latter’s agreement or the authorisation of the Conseil Départemental de l’Ordre. Such authorisation may only be refused on the grounds of a risk of confusion for the public. Silence on the part of the departmental council will be deemed to constitute tacit authorisation on expiry of a period of…

Any association or partnership between doctors with a view to practising the profession must be the subject of a written contract which respects the professional independence of each of them. The same applies in the cases provided for in articles R. 4127-65, R. 4127-87 and R. 4127-88 of the present Code of Deontology, as well as in the case of employment of a doctor by a colleague under the conditions…

In practices where several practitioners work together, whatever their legal status, the practice of medicine must remain personal. Each practitioner retains his or her professional independence. The patient’s free choice of doctor must be respected. Without prejudice to the provisions specific to non-trading companies or partnerships, when several associated doctors practise in different locations, each of them must, apart from emergencies and on-call duty, only give consultations in his own…