Skip to main content
Home

Main navigation

  • Top stories
  • Health
  • Crime
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Tech
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Weird
  • 1-1-2
Image
1280px-Boende,_Magnus_Froderberg_(2)
Elderly lady in a nursing home (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Magnus Fröderberg) - Credit: Elderly lady in a nursing home (Picture: Wikimedia Commons/Magnus Fröderberg)
Health
Court of Auditors
National Ombudsman
SCP
vulnerable groups
elderly
Dementia
psychiatric patient
intellectual disability
Cabinet Rutte III
Tweede Kamer
healthcare budget
Wednesday, 17 October 2018 - 10:20
Share this:
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • whatsapp
  • reddit

Dutch gov't ignores vulnerable people: advisory bodies

The Rutte III government has too little regard for the thousands of vulnerable people in the Netherlands who do not receive the care that they need, the National Ombudsman, the Netherlands Court of Auditors and social and cultural planning office SCP said in a joint statement on Wednesday. The Tweede Kamer, lower house of Dutch parliament, is discussing the healthcare budget on Wednesday afternoon, NU.nl reports.

According to the three advisory bodies, people who need long-term care like psychiatric patients, elderly people with dementia, and young people with a mild intellectual disability often can't find their way to the care they need. This is partly because the government provides too little information about this, and partly because it is often impossible for citizens to find their way in the difficult to understand healthcare system.

The Ombudsman, the Court of Auditors and the SCP launched separate investigations after receiving, independently of each other, various signals from society that things often go wrong with the care for these vulnerable groups. It also concerns the three bodies that this group will only grow larger in the coming years due to the aging population. They call on the government to take swift action to make sure this group no longer falls through the cracks.

Their call came with a number of recommendations to solve problems these specific groups face. One such is making sure that vulnerable people that need acute help get their treatment first, and the involved parties can sort out the bill afterwards. It is currently too often the case that vulnerable patients have to wait a long time for treatment because of bickering over who is responsible for the costs of that care, according to the advisory bodies. Setting up a 'bridging budget' this group can make use of, could remedy this. The advisory bodies also recommend that the government simplify the procedure vulnerable people have to go through to get help.

Follow us:

Latest stories

  • Putin played an active role in conflict around MH17 downing; No new suspects prosecuted
  • ABN Amro profit up over 55% to €1.9 billion due to rising interest rates
  • TikTok showing triggering videos to people with eating disorders: report
  • Upcycle shop at Rotterdam Central Station gives second life to NS material
  • Dutch government can't limit family reunification for refugees, Council of State rules
  • New results in MH17 investigation presented this afternoon

Top stories

  • Putin played an active role in conflict around MH17 downing; No new suspects prosecuted
  • 42% of secondary school teachers witnessed anti-Semitism in class
  • 40% of home buyers end 2022 were first-time buyers
  • Dutch team rescues 6 people from rubble in Turkey; Death toll climbs to 8,100
  • Rutte tells Erdogan the Dutch can offer more help; Dutch donate millions in relief aid
  • Netherlands, Germany & Denmark buying at least 100 Leopard 1 tanks for Ukraine

© 2012-2023, NL Times, All rights reserved.

Footer menu

  • Privacy
  • Contact
  • Partner content