The GGzE, the psychiatric institution in Eindhoven, will take accelerated measures to improve psychiatry training and make it safer. The Supervisory Board and the Management Board have announced this. They acknowledge that insufficient attention has been paid to signals that indicate that things are very wrong within the psychiatry training.
It has also become clear that Machteld Marcelis will certainly not return as head of the psychiatry program before March 1, 2023. She was discredited by complaints about her performance and transferred her duties. The GGzE wants to make working and schooling at this organization safe again with various measures.
‘Difficult to understand’
The GGzE has been under fire for several weeks after a heated conflict between two members of the Board of Directors. There was also a lot wrong with the training to become a psychiatrist. As a result, the training was suspended and the organization came under the intensive supervision of a national committee.
The management of the institution calls these decisions unexpected and disturbing: “We also had a hard time understanding how this decision had come about at first.”
The GGzE has now made it clear from various discussions that ‘some signals have received insufficient attention’. As a result, previous measures to improve the safety of training have not been taken up sufficiently and a number of opportunities to take steps have also not been taken. A painful conclusion for the GGzE, which in times of staff shortages benefits from attracting, training and retaining doctors and psychiatrists. After all, they are desperately needed for the care of clients.
‘Listen better’
The GGzE also states that there will be more listening, that there will be an independent external confidential advisor and that some functions will no longer be combined. In addition, on the basis of reports from the confidential counselor and the supervisory committee, a separate investigation is initiated with an independent chair to identify the problems within the GGzE training programmes. Measures that have already been taken are having a positive effect, it is stated.
The statement does not mention the formation of a new board.
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