The GGzE in Eindhoven has a huge problem if the suspension of its psychiatrist training at GGzE remains in force after 1 January and the 25 students have to leave. The workload for psychiatrists then becomes too great and clients will have to wait longer for care. GGzE will also suffer financial loss if the Registration Committee for Medical Specialists sticks to its suspension decision. That is what several experts say about the situation to Omroep Brabant.
The registration committee has suspended GGzE’s license for psychiatry training as of 1 July. This was done after an investigation into a report containing serious complaints from students and former students about an ‘unsafe learning climate’.
The program is not allowed to accept new students for the time being. If the registration committee sticks to its decision, the 25 doctors who are now being trained as psychiatrists must leave by January 1, 2023. The committee will soon review the situation.
‘Giant grid holes’
It is perfectly logical that this leads to unrest among staff and clients, two health economists told Omroep Brabant. Xander Koolman of the Free University and emeritus professor Richard Janssen at Tilburg University explain the situation at GGzE. According to them, this is the ultimate means of pressure for the registration committee to solve problems.
First of all, the decision to suspend the training course has a huge impact on the 25 doctors who follow the 4.5-year training. They have completed many years of studies, including medicine. “They will now be scratching their heads to see whether this will be okay,” says Koolman. “A lot depends on this for them.”
If the 25 psychiatry students really have to leave, huge timetable gaps will arise, says Janssen. That’s how it works: psychiatry students work with clients who need heavy and long-term care on a daily basis. They do this under the supervision of psychiatrists. Senior students are also included in work schedules.
“With the disappearance of the students, a lot of manpower is therefore lost. The workload for staff that has to cope with this becomes too high. You cannot accommodate that many people. There is already a major shortage of psychiatrists,” says Janssen.
According to Koolman, training centres, such as GGzE in this case, normally have an advantage in retaining staff. “They hope to be able to register good doctors in training to become specialists. But if GGzE is no longer allowed to train anyone, this advantage will of course disappear.”
Fewer staff means fewer clients can receive care. Those treated by a psychiatrist often have serious mental disorders. These care processes are long-term. “Waiting lists are therefore getting longer, while they often need good help,” Koolman summarizes.
In the wallet
The GGzE also feels this in the wallet. If the doctors in training to become psychiatrists disappear, GGzE can no longer claim those working hours from health insurers. In addition, the government’s compensation for the training of students will be abolished. “Many mental health institutions are not too generous. For example, the suspension of a course can directly affect the budget,” says Janssen.
All in all, according to Janssen and Koolman, the GGzE is committed to getting the decision of the registration committee to suspend the training off the table. Janssen: “They will really have to solve the situation and fully commit to it. Otherwise, GGzE really has a huge problem.”
GGzE does not agree with the decision to suspend the training and has lodged an objection against it.
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