[Serving the public].

Abstract

What is meant by Public Service? Does it mean serving the public or, since the service is for everyone, must the public leave it up to the discretion of the administration, in the hopes of obtaining what it is entitled to? The question is important at a time when the public is no longer satisfied with a simple service, but demands acknowledgement, quality and performance from the general Administrations and in particular hospital institutions. With an aim for global efficiency, the annual report of the General Authority of Social Affairs "Les Institutions socials face aux usagers", has courageously tackled the eternal items: information for the public, administration of the users, quality of service rendered. This recent report offers the opportunity to review, from the users' point of view, the quality of public services and, with the malaise in this sector today, this represents a major social stake in the short-term.