More hospitals unable to provide scheduled healthcare

Twelve Dutch hospitals are currently unable or not always able to provide "critical scheduled care" within six weeks, the Dutch healthcare authority NZa reported. The NZa relies on data from 74 hospitals spread across the country.

A week ago, nine hospitals were unable or not always able to deliver crucial scheduled care in a timely manner.

Critical planned care must be delivered within six weeks to prevent damage to the patient's health. This may concern, for example, people who have been diagnosed with colon cancer and who will have to undergo surgery in the near future. The authority cannot say which hospitals can no longer provide this type of care on time.

In 45 hospitals, it is no longer to provide all scheduled care. That is also an increase compared to a week ago when there were still 31 hospitals. The NZa received data on this from 73 hospitals.

According to the NZa, most hospitals indicate that they can no longer provide catch-up care. This is care that was previously postponed during the coronavirus crisis and still has to be provided. At the moment, catch-up care is still happening at only seven hospitals.

The Limburg region is currently one of the regions hit hardest by the coronavirus. Last week, Limburg hospitals indicated in a letter to corona Minister Hugo de Jonge that they could no longer handle the influx of coronavirus patients. "Limburg is heading for a care collapse," the hospitals wrote.

According to a spokesperson for the Network Acute Care Limburg, no hospitals in the region can deliver critical scheduled care promptly. According to him, it is still possible with "maximum effort," but hospitals are "at their limit."