The intensive care department of the Flevoziekenhuis in Almere did not meet the most basic requirements last year, according to a research report in the hands of the VPRO/Human program. Argos† According to the research program, the report states that patient safety has been compromised so seriously that the hospital should have closed the ward.
The Flevoziekenhuis says in an initial response that there have been “serious problems”, with a “difficult period” for the IC. However, patient safety “wasn’t actually compromised”. Furthermore, the hospital calls the reporting from Argos “incomplete and suggestive”, resulting in a “distorted picture”.
Disturbed working relationships
The radio program spoke with nurses and physician assistants, among others. The problems in the ICU were mainly caused by disturbed working relationships between nurses and intensivists.
Some medical specialists are said to have been guilty of ‘seriously unprofessional behaviour’. For example, four of the six intensivists reportedly did not or hardly ever examine their patients at the bedside and assessed them mainly on the basis of the data in the computer file.
The report held by Argos was prepared by an external researcher. He cites as an example of an abuse that one intensivist decided to discontinue medical life-prolonging treatment for an IC patient, while a fellow intensivist often reversed this without substantiation.
According to the researchers, patients may have died unnecessarily due to the situation in the hospital. The IC remained open despite the risks, according to the report, because closure would have serious consequences for patients treated after corona infection.
Inspection
Last summer, the board of directors called the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) about the situation. An improvement process is now underway, the inspectorate reports to the NOS. An extra surveillance visit was made in February, which, according to the Inspectorate, was positive.
“This showed that progress has been made and that everyone is taking their responsibility to provide safe and increasingly better care in the ICU department.” The inspectorate does say that the improvements have not yet been completed and that the hospital “still has to take the necessary steps”.
According to the Flevoziekenhuis, the report in the possession of Argos contains statements by (former) employees and external experts of the hospital “who have never spoken to us and rely on incomplete information”. The hospital further states that the program has not accepted an offer “to view all relevant documents with us”.
Tomorrow at 2 p.m. spent Argos on NPO Radio 1 attention to the subject. The Flevoziekenhuis will then publish a substantive response on its own website.
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