Doctors in Drenthe surprised by cutbacks: ‘But it’s not that bad’

Doctors in Drenthe have reacted with surprise to the plans of the Ministry of Health to withdraw about 680 million euros from district nursing and general practitioner care. This would amount to a saving of 600 million euros for district nursing and 80 million euros for general practitioners.

However, the cutbacks in Drenthe seem to be not too bad. “Good agreements have been made here in Drenthe with health insurer Zilveren Kruis,” says GP Martijn Mantingh from Gieten. In addition to being a general practitioner, Mantingh is also a board member of Drentse Huisartsen, part of Huisartsenzorg Drenthe (HZD).

The 80 million euros is the amount that must be cut nationally. That amount will be based on expenditure in the year 2021. In that year, the general practitioners jointly spent 80 million euros less. “We did not know that. If we had known, we could have done beautiful national projects for that. We have not done them now, because we thought there was no money for it. Now they are going to deduct that.”

Because HZD itself makes agreements with health insurers, the cutbacks may not be that bad. “Elsewhere in the country it is about more discs,” says Mantigh. “The interests are different there. Fortunately, the lines are shorter here.”

There will be a new consultation on the Integral Care Agreement on August 26 and it will be officially signed on September 14. Two points are important to Mantingh in the new agreement. “There must be more time for the patient and concrete how the financing for this is arranged, and secondly, acute care must no longer lie with the practice holders. These are breaking points for us.”

He does promise that the care provision will not be endangered, even if they do not reach an agreement.

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