Air Liquide Presents a Project to Transform its Home Healthcare Activity in France
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Regulatory News:
On July 5, 2023, the management of Air Liquide Healthcare (Paris:AI) presented a project to transform its Home Healthcare activity in France to employee representatives. The project aims to address the needs and expectations of patients and healthcare professionals, and to adapt the activity’s business model to meet the challenges of the healthcare system.
The aging of the population, combined with the increasing prevalence of chronic illnesses and the desire of the vast majority of French people to be able to stay at home for as long as possible, place home healthcare (HHC) as an essential component in the organization of the healthcare system. However, the homecare model in France is threatened by a number of factors: the continuing erosion of reimbursement levels, rising costs linked to a regulatory framework which requires an obligation of means not adapted to individual patient needs, the adoption of new, more expensive, technologies and the acceleration of the inflationary context since 2021.
Despite this context, Air Liquide continues to firmly believe in this business and its professions. Since 1986, the Air Liquide Group has made home healthcare one of its strategic priorities. Today, with 1.9 million patients with chronic illnesses being cared for at home, worldwide, Air Liquide's ambition is to support the shift to homecare, and to provide more personalized attention to the needs of patients and healthcare professionals, through outcome-based care for patients, at the best possible cost to the healthcare system.
As a key partner of the healthcare system, Air Liquide intends to make a responsible contribution to its necessary transformation by defining a new organizational model for its Home Healthcare activities in France.
The transformation project presented to employee representatives would involve reshaping the operational organization of one of the Group's main homecare entities, Pharma Dom, simplifying its brand portfolio, and regrouping some of its locations. It would also aim to bring together certain cross-functional roles within a single entity. A technology investment plan is part of this transformation project, in order to optimize processes and facilitate the day-to-day work of teams for patient care and their exchanges with healthcare professionals.
Currently subject to consultation with employee representatives, this project would lead to a reduction of 430 net positions. In line with the Group's values, the plan would provide for the implementation of appropriate measures to support all employees concerned.
“Air Liquide Healthcare wants to propose new models of homecare, enabling better organization of care pathways and quality of life for patients, at the best possible cost to the healthcare system. This indispensable transformation will be carried out in consultation with our social partners. We will pay particular attention to supporting our teams and maintaining a constructive social dialogue”, explains Philippe Ogé, VP Home Healthcare France.
About Air Liquide Healthcare Air Liquide Healthcare is a world leader in medical gases, home healthcare services and specialty ingredients. Our 16,400 employees support 1.9 Million chronic patients at home, and supply medical gases solutions and associated services for 15,000 hospitals and new places of care. Leader of home healthcare in Europe, we provide care for patients with chronic diseases such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, sleep apnea, respiratory failure, diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Thanks to our unrivaled proximity with patients, we focus our efforts on improving what really matters to them and aim to enhance their quality of life. Relying on a unique combination of human and digital, we provide personalized care, bringing the support each patient needs when he needs it. In 2022, home healthcare activities represented more than 50% of Air Liquide's Healthcare revenue. |
A world leader in gases, technologies and services for Industry and Health, Air Liquide is present in 73 countries with approximately 67,100 employees and serves more than 3.9 million customers and patients. Oxygen, nitrogen and hydrogen are essential small molecules for life, matter and energy. They embody Air Liquide’s scientific territory and have been at the core of the company’s activities since its creation in 1902.
Taking action today while preparing the future is at the heart of Air Liquide’s strategy. With ADVANCE, its strategic plan for 2025, Air Liquide is targeting a global performance, combining financial and extra-financial dimensions. Positioned on new markets, the Group benefits from major assets such as its business model combining resilience and strength, its ability to innovate and its technological expertise. The Group develops solutions contributing to climate and the energy transition—particularly with hydrogen—and takes action to progress in areas of healthcare, digital and high technologies.
Air Liquide’s revenue amounted to more than 29.9 billion euros in 2022. Air Liquide is listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange (compartment A) and belongs to the CAC 40, CAC 40 ESG, EURO STOXX 50, FTSE4Good and DJSI Europe indexes.
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