Medical Information

Urgent & Non-Urgent

The pan-European emergency number is 112 which can be called for any type of emergency and after, an operator will direct you to the appropriate (French) department. Very useful if you don’t speak French as you can ask to be connected to an English-speaking operator. Those who are deaf or hard of hearing can SMS 114.

In Case of Emergency

‘Urgences’ means Emergency in French. Our nearest A&E is very close by (5km away), and if you’re reading this in a panic, here is the link to directions via Google Maps.

The full address for those who can approach it at a more leisurely pace: Centre Hospitalier du Chinonais Service des Urgences, D751, 37500 Saint-Benoît-la-Forêt

Phone: +33(0)247937515

If it’s very serious, call the Ambulance and Emergency Services (SAMU): 15.

SAMU (Service d’Aide Médicale d’Urgence) is the national, publicly run emergency service that deals only with very serious cases. SAMU provides both ambulances and specialist medical teams.

Please read the info on LES POMPIERS, below, before calling SAMU

Les Pompiers

The French fire brigade are not just called out for fires. Trained and equipped to deal with medical emergencies, they are very helpful and an important part of the medical framework and used in most cases: 18.

They provide an ambulance service with their specially equipped vans. In France, it is very often the fire brigade who are called first to deal with road injuries and domestic accidents and in many areas, especially rural regions, they will be fastest to the scene. They coordinate with all other emergency services.

GP/Pharmacist

Pre-Covid, the excellent app/website Doctolib, (downloadable on any App Store, regardless of region) gave anyone access to an appointment with a local French doctor. Now it is considerably less user-friendly for visitors as you must be an existing client in order to get a rendez-vous.

Assuming that no one reading this is local, the best bet - if it’s non-urgent - is to go to a pharmacy. French pharmacists seems to be more qualified than their English counterparts and can offer very good, practical advice. Depending on the time of day or night you need one, or whether or not it’s a public holiday etc, there is always one pharmacy on duty (la pharmacie de garde) which is a rotated responsibility. Here is the link to find out which one is on call (the postcode is 37500 or just enter Chinon in the town section).

If you are fortunate enough to need a pharmacy in regular hours: take your pick from any of them in Chinon (the one near the main square Pharmacie du Centre also has good beauty products, just slipping that in here for any multi-taskers!). Our nearest though, is Pharmacie des Hucherolles, 2A Rue du Château d'Eau, 37500 Chinon. To get there with Google Maps click here.]

Other useful numbers

Centre Antipoison Angers: +33(0)241482112

GP/Doctor: +33(0)247932400 Dr Simon Lamblin, Maison Médicale de Chinon, 11 Rue du 11 Novembre although you will most likely be faced with the issues outlined under GP/Pharmacist.