The platform “refocuses” on referenced professionals and excludes “wellness practitioners”

A development that will rule out several thousand profiles. Two months after the controversy over naturopaths referenced by Doctolib, the medical appointment platform announces an adjustment this Wednesday. “We have decided to refocus exclusively on professionals referenced by the health authorities,” Doctolib president Stanislas Niox-Chateau told AFP.

Consequently, “5,700 well-being practitioners will no longer be able to use our services” and have been notified of the termination of their contracts, with a period of “six months to find another solution”. A choice “which seems logical”, in the words of Stanislas Niox-Chateau, after the lively controversy triggered at the end of August on social networks by caregivers accusing the platform of referencing naturopaths with dangerous practices, close to charlatanism and sectarian excesses .

“We take our responsibilities”

Faced with criticism relayed by the Order of Physicians, Doctolib had initially suspended around fifteen accounts and “strengthened its verification procedures” – in particular making it impossible to make appointments before effective control of the right to practice. After “six weeks of consultations” with health orders, nursing unions, patient associations, etc., the ax has therefore fallen. Even if “well-being activities have their place and are legal”, they are “not supervised” and there is “no way of verifying the level of qualification” of those who practice them, explains the head of the platform.

“We take our responsibilities”, adds the boss of Doctolib, recognizing the “legitimate expectations” around his group, “become a trusted third party in the health sector”, with 170,000 caregivers subscribing to its services in France. Even if it means immediately giving up several million euros in income – at the rate of 100 euros per professional and per month – because “it is this confidence that will make the difference in the long term”.