Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital — Attraction in Paris

Truly Godawful place. No exaggeration.

I arrived via taxi at the emergency department, with excruciating back pain. 2 people met us at the spot where the driver stopped; neither paid any attention to me - they both started yelling at the driver that he can't stop there. My husband went to find me a wheelchair and was told, disinterestedly and repeatedly, to take a number. The driver helped me out of the cab into a standing position. I was OBVIOUSLY in tremendous pain, gasping with it. He kept asking for a wheelchair while these people continued to yell at him. (Please note that I am Canadian and have very limited French). The driver finally went over to where there were several stretchers and pulled one back to where I was standing, holding onto the car. He gently took my left arm to help me to the stretcher. The woman employee took my right arm and wrenched me around quickly to my right, causing me to cry out in pain. Despite the language difficulty, I understood that she was yelling at me that she was trying to help me, and that was where her "help" ended. I will note, now, that I had suffered a broken back, fracturing the L1 vertebra. I managed to get onto the stretcher and was wheeled into the ER. I was given x-rays and a CT scan by a kind and compassionate technician. This was at about 11pm. I was transferred to a waiting area in ER and was told that someone would come to talk to me. NO ONE came to talk to me. I knew by then that my back was broken, but found out that I would be transferred to a different hospital for surgery in passing by a nurse. I wasn't offered ANY pain medication until sometime the next morning (between 8 and 12 hours after my accident happened). My husband went to the nurse's station to give the staff Hell for the complete lack of information given to us, and was met with indifference. Apparently the French pride themselves on their healthcare system. I know that there have been terrible pressures placed on hospital workers since Covid-19 started, but my experience here went WAY beyond that which is understandable. I think the next time I fracture vertebrae, I'll bloody stay in Canada.

Edit: April '25 - On two separate occasions, Google has denied this review, citing the policy regarding "fake information". Please be assured that this was absolutely my experience, as I described it. I had no reason to carry a grudge against this hospital. I was not ever an employee (I'm Canadian, living in Canada) and never knew anyone there that would cause me to want to smear its reputation. Would I like the employees who treated me as they did reprimanded? Absolutely. But I have no way of identifying them. This review was solely intended to warn people, especially tourists, of the potential for...

I had the most terrible experience at this hospital. As a tourist in Paris, on my very first night I had an accident and fell down the stairs in my Airbnb whilst going to the bathroom in the middle of the night. The ambulance attendants didn't know what to do with me and just assumed I was drunk. They made me walk from the Ambulance to the Emergency room and then just waved me in. There was NOBODY in this emergency room. I sat there with blood pouring out of my head for at least 10 minutes before somebody appeared and told me to come on in.

I was stitched up and sent on my way, no scan, no x-ray nothing. I had a fallen down the stairs head first. The Dr pointed to the hand basin and the anti-bacterial handwash and I was advised I could clean up my face there.

When told I could go, I asked for pain relief and was given 2 paracetamol and when asked about concussion, was told NO RISK. I clearly had concussion with 4 bouts of vomiting and dizziness when walking. No assistance, just "bye". I have never experienced anything like it. I will never criticize the Australian health care system again.

I honestly thought it was a fake hospital and I was on a reality tv show, waiting for "Gotcha" after I came out.

AVOID this hospital at all costs. Throughout the remainder of my holiday, the French people I told the story to were appalled.

N.B. Arrived home in Australia 2.5 weeks later and had a CT scan immediately which showed a bleed...

I wish I could give it zero star... Absolute disgrace of a hospital.

I was admitted to the ER after a vagal syncope and the service has been absolutely terrible. I had to spend the night in a hallway despite the fact that my heart tension had been really weakened as a result of the syncope. I could barely see the doctor, who gave the shortest feedback I have ever heard, and that after 24 hours of wait and trying to sleep on a chair in a hallway. The doctor diagnosis was also non-sense according to cardiologist I saw in Belgium afterwards... It really feels like a third world place.

The terrible service continued in the follow up, as the doctor said he was unable to write a visit report in English (which I would have needed to then provide it to my GP in the UK). After that, I was also unable to get the images from the scanner before a really long time.

Finally they charged me 4800 Euros (!) for their "services" and were extremely unhelpful when it came to assist with the administrative follow-up for my NHS reimbursement. Don't go there, it's the absolute worst. I am fortunate in the fact that I speak French. If you don't, they wouldn't be able to help at all, those French are just fully incompetent when it comes to speaking English it...