Zoetermeer emergency room closed 3 days per week over staff shortages

Due to staff shortages, the LangeLand Hospital in Zoetermeer is closing its emergency room three days a week, from 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday to 8:00 a.m. on Friday. The temporary measure will last from August 2 to October 1.

The hospital had to take this measure because of "the combination of a national shortage on the labor market and absenteeism due to illness."

The hospital found it impossible to staff the emergency room 24/7 due to a shortage of specialized personnel on the ward. In the coming week, LangeLand will discuss with surrounding hospitals, the ambulance services, and the general practitioners in the region how to maintain the continuity and safety of care.

LangeLand is the only hospital in Zoetermeer itself. The Haga Hospital and the Gouda Groene Hart Hospital are located in surrounding cities.

David Baden, chairman of the Dutch Association of Emergency Medicine Doctors (NVHSA), called this a serious decision. "The news came as a surprise to me. This must have been a difficult decision for the hospital."

Other hospitals are not yet temporarily closing their emergency rooms, but Baden recognizes the shortage of emergency room doctors. "In the Netherlands, we now have about 600 emergency room doctors, while we actually need 1,200."

According to the quality requirements, an emergency room doctor or a medical specialist with additional courses must be present at every emergency department. If both are unavailable, a physician assistant with at least one year of experience must be present. "In most hospitals, the shortage is solved in extreme need with physician assistants, but apparently that was not possible for LangeLand," said Baden.

Patient Federation Netherlands regrets the measure but understands that this was out of the hospital's control. "You can't make what isn't there," the federation said. It thinks it is a good thing that the hospital is arranging other care for patients, but "it is not nice."