Waiting lists increasing for most common surgeries
The waiting lists for several of the most common surgeries increased even further in 2024, according to an analysis of hospital data by the knowledge center Kompas in Zorg. It now takes 13 weeks for a knee replacement, an increase of 13 percent. The waiting time for a new hip is now 11 weeks, 17 percent longer than in 2023, De Telegraaf reports.
Arthur Schellekens, director of the Dutch Patients’ Federation (PN) called the increase in waiting times concerning. The maximum acceptable period to wait for surgery is seven weeks. “If patients have to wait longer, this can have serious consequences for their health,” he said. “Complaints can get worse, and people are sometimes forced to walk around with pain for longer.”
“In principle, the health insurer has a duty of care,” Martijn Buijsen, a professor of Health Law at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, told the Telegraaf. “They must be able to place a patient with a healthcare provider in time.” That is increasingly failing, the figures show. “That is because a political choice has been made to limit healthcare expenditure as much as possible in the coming years.”
But this problem won’t be solved with more money in healthcare alone, Schellekens said. The sector is also struggling with widespread shortages. He thinks hospitals need to collaborate more and refer patients to each other more often in order to tackle the increasing waiting lists.
PN also urged patients to call their health insurer if they’re waiting too long. “They know where the waiting lists may be shorter and can sometimes arrange for someone to be helped more quickly somewhere else,” Schellekens said.
