NIJMEGEN – The majority of Dutch general practices are in danger of coming to a standstill. Many practices in Nijmegen are no longer accepting new patients, even though there are many general practitioners working in this region. NEO Huisartsenzorg is an organization that supports general practitioners within the Nijmegen region. Tim van Noort, manager of the NEO Huisartsen Day Care Department, explains why new patients are faced with a closed door and what solutions are used.
The fact that many GPs are in danger of getting stuck has to do with a range of tasks that has been increasing in recent years. For example, GPs have to deal with care questions that were previously taken care of by other care organizations and administrative tasks also consume a lot of time. It is also expected that there will be a shortage of GPs in the future due to the aging population.
According to van Noort, aging is not the cause of the registration freeze in the Nijmegen region. There are many medical graduates who continue to live and work in our region.
Why do many practices have a registration freeze?
According to van Noort, the experienced workload differs per GP. “Many GPs in this region have a registration freeze. You notice that the registration freeze is due to various reasons, including a lack of a doctor’s assistant, housing problems and observers who are being sought. The agenda is simply filling up.”
With the workload, the need for support in various areas grows. For example, the organization is now also being asked for support with, for example, ICT tasks, financial matters and other things that practices have to handle themselves, but for which they are actually too small.
A solution for the Nijmegen region
NEO Huisartsen prefers a regional approach from which every doctor can benefit. “We are working on a project to recruit doctor’s assistants and we are looking at how we can organize internships. In addition, we are working on ICT tools that help with work pressure relief and we are looking at financial support options.” reports Van Noort.
Scheduling a digital appointment is also one of the solutions that is increasingly being used by general practitioners nationwide. Van Noort notes that digital development is progressing quickly, because there are many providers you can choose from. “We see it as a positive development. It is a bit of a search which provider you propose to the GPs.” The organization itself is also involved in the development. For example, ‘Teleconsultation’ falls under their support offer. This allows you to make digital appointments with general practitioners of the CWZ hospital and Radboud hospital. In addition, we are looking at how data exchange is digitally possible with other organizations involved.
Whether the high workload is under control within the Nijmegen region differs per doctor. “One GP experiences a lot of pressure and the other doctor continues to work in the evenings, so it depends on who you ask. Together with the doctors, we investigate how the care can be maintained, also with an eye to the future,” concludes Van Noort.
2023-04-28 15:53:05
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