The number of GPs in the province has increased over the past three years. Yet there are also villages where the GP disappears. For example in Reek. It saddles the residents with a problem, because the practices in surrounding villages are full and so they can’t go there.
In 2020, there were still 1,582 general practitioners working in Brabant. Last year that number rose to 1614 and this year it is 1646. This is according to figures from the Netherlands Institute for Health Care Research (NIVEL). The majority of those ‘new’ doctors end up in larger towns in the province. They often join existing GP practices. But in Reek the GP disappeared and the residents can’t go to other practices.
Few young GPs
Annemarie Cromwijk is a general practitioner at Humo, an interest group for general practitioners in Northeast Brabant. She knows why these kinds of cases are becoming more common. “Older GPs are retiring and there are not enough young doctors willing to take over the practices.” The doctors see a lot of bears on the road. “There is a lot involved in managing a general practice. Young general practitioners often see this as a major barrier.”
The location also plays a role in where a GP wants to settle. “Rotterdam, for example, where the training is also located, is a much more desirable place. As a large city, Den Bosch also finds it easier to find a new GP.” Why not a village like Reek? “Oss is unfortunately a less desirable area,” Cromwijk explains.
everything on everything
Guus Weitzel of village development Reek will do everything in his power to get a doctor into his village. “Every village should have a GP as a basic facility. If this is lost, it will be a great loss. It is especially important for older people that the GP is close to home.”
Weitzel calls on young general practitioners: “We have a special care combination in Reek, with special education, a care farm, WMO and so on. a beautiful location.” He therefore says to people who do want to take over a general practice: “Come to Reek.”