GPs are concerned about the huge wave of foreign workers coming to the Eindhoven region. General practitioners fear a major shortage of healthcare personnel and practice rooms. That is why they are calling on large employers to help. “They have every interest in their future employees having a GP nearby,” says Pascale Voermans. She is a director of the Eindhoven GP organization Stroomz, which has a hundred GPs and more than 200,000 patients.
The 21 municipalities in the Eindhoven Metropolitan Area expect more than 53,000 new employees to join the high-tech sector in the next ten years. Thirty percent of them come from abroad. They often go to work at ASML or at one of the supply companies. Of course, these people all need a general practitioner, but they will also rely on other care.
“Eindhoven is not ready for the huge wave that is coming,” says Voermans. “The wave is so big and moves so fast. No matter how hard we try and how many patchwork we come up with, we cannot cope with that wave.”
The Eindhoven GP Maurits Westein sees it in his practice. He is getting more and more newcomers. They also need extra attention. “We lost three to four consultations to explain how the Dutch healthcare system works. If the employers provide this explanation as soon as they come here, then we can help four other patients in the time that has become available.”
It also takes GPs time to go through the medical history of the newcomers. These are often thick and complicated files. The conversations are in English, which is why general practitioners and medical assistants in the region are offered language courses. There they mainly learn English medical terms. In the general practices of Stroomz, a folder in English is already available as standard.
“For example, let them sponsor the practice room.”
Due to the many newcomers and the aging of the population, GPs need larger and more practice rooms. Also GP Westein. “We cannot expand our practice, but they are now building apartments opposite. I can already see the new residents coming knocking here.”
Westein is also chairman of the general practitioners’ association LHV in Southeast Brabant. He appeals to large international companies in the region. “Maybe we should talk to large companies like ASML. For example, let them sponsor the practice space. Philips used to do that too, why can’t ASML do that?”
Pascale Voermans of the Eindhoven general practitioners agrees. “It would be nice if the municipality, but also large employers, could help with this. I think it would be a great initiative if these employers sponsor us and, for example, make buildings available.”
“Sooner or later it’s going to pinch everywhere.”
200 extra people are needed in general practices. General practitioner organization Stroomz, for example, wants to use the partners of newcomers. “If they have a background in healthcare, they can get started here with some extra help. We are already working on this on a small scale in the region.” They are also looking for other solutions to reduce the pressure: making appointments via the internet saves on telephone calls, just like looking for information on Thuisarts.nl.
Sixty percent of GP practices already have a patient stop. “There are patients who do not have a GP,” says driver Voermans. “They are therefore forced to go to the emergency room or to the GP in the evening. This will happen much more often here with all those newcomers.”
“Sooner or later it will become a problem everywhere. We are already seeing it in pharmacies, district nursing and social work. I do worry about that. Will vulnerable people get the care they need? They have to do their job every day with a lot of improvisation in quite difficult circumstances.”