GP groups annoyed by management of new Covid vaccination round

General practitioners are annoyed by how the Ministry of Public Health, Welfare, and Sports manages the new round of coronavirus vaccinations. Without any prior consultation, GPs were informed that they had to let the RIVM know which patients are eligible for the first shots, AD reports.

Two weeks ago, Health Minister Ernst Kuipers informed the general practitioners by letter that people who get invited for the flu shot every year will be first in line for the repeat Covid-19 vaccination from mid-September. And that the GPs have to let the RIVM know who those people are. “GPs have committed themselves to make a selection of the flu shot group younger than 60 of age,” Kuipers wrote.

United in two action groups called “Help the GP is drowning” and “The Enthusiastic GP,” the general practitioners expressed their dissatisfaction in an email to Kuipers. “General practitioners are appalled that you - the minister - again ignore the general practitioners. It is the umpteenth time that GPs, without consultation, are confronted with extra work. And that in a period when GPs are either trying to rest or working extra hard to provide safe GP care when understaffed.”

Many GPs are baffled by “this disrespectful way of doing things,” GP and initiator Nico Terpstra said to AD. “We no longer want to be confronted with work that has not been discussed beforehand! Such a rude move, that order from the minister to get back to work for him. His order is not in accordance with the seriousness of the situation in GP care. My colleagues are furious about this and are now threatening to stop cooperating altogether.”

The GPs call on the Minister to start the conversation and to ensure the “correct timeline and good preconditions” are set. “There have been a lot of vaccination rounds in which were deployed as free injection assistants, while the GGD pays doctors. We don’t have to do anything. The ministry does not employ us. So make sure we are involved and seen. Otherwise, it won’t work,” Terpstra said.

The Ministry of Public Health told AD that it is in talks with the national association of general practitioners, LHV, about this matter.