The municipality of Hilversum has given permission to convert an old coach house in the residential area of Trompenberg into a health center. To the great disappointment of local residents: residents in the neighborhood were very critical of the plans, partly because they fear a lot of traffic nuisance. General practitioner Bernard Leenstra has a completely different interest: “Hilversum is really crying out for a new practice,” he says.
Leenstra is one of the general practitioners who wants to have the villa converted into a new health center. “There are about 14,000 people looking for a home in Hilversum, but there is not a single available GP,” he explains. Two GP practices could be located in the villa, and there is also room for other healthcare facilities, including a pharmacy.
He is therefore enthusiastic about the decision of the municipality. “I’m ready to go ‘doctors’ there,” he says. “Patients really need this.”
Leenstra, for example, points to the developments of the Tergooiziekenhuis. “They will get a nice new, but smaller location. Everything is aimed at more care at a distance. GPs will therefore be even busier here anyway.”
“We have submitted 17 objections and we are not hearing anything about them”
The residents of the Trompenberg residential area are right opposite the doctor. In September they already hung banners with the slogan: ‘No medical center here, this is a residential area’. The decision of the municipality is therefore raw on their roof. “We are very disappointed,” says Nicole van Toor from the Trompenberg district. “We have submitted 17 objections and we are not hearing anything about them. Where is the citizen participation?”, she says.
The local residents are especially concerned about the crowds that may arise around the health center that is yet to be built. “The building plans include 27 seats in the canteen, even though there are only 14 parking spaces.” According to Van Toor, the influx of patients would cause a significant increase in traffic and parking problems. “We are afraid of a huge medical center.”
General practitioner shortage
In addition, she argues that the villa could be used much better to house starters. “In Hilversum we also have a huge housing shortage. What if you make apartments for starters there?” When asked whether she finds the housing shortage more pressing than the shortage of GPs, she replies: “There is no shortage of GPs in our district.”
“There is no stone for sale in the rest of Hilversum, while the queues are only growing”
Not entirely unexpectedly, Van Toor indicates that she wants to take further steps with her neighborhood to get the new destination of the villa off the table. The neighborhood is currently looking at next steps. Both parties agree that they also want to talk to each other. “Where is the dialogue?” Van Toor wonders.
General practitioner Leenstra seems to be of the same opinion. “The news is very fresh, but we are already looking at how we can keep talking to the neighborhood.” He concludes by once again making it clear how important these general practices are for Hilversum. “There is no stone for sale in the rest of Hilversum, while the queues at general practitioners are only growing.”