The number of reports about (suspected) sexual misconduct by healthcare providers has increased considerably in recent years, according to a report that the Healthcare and Youth Inspectorate (IGJ) published on Tuesday. This made an overview of reports by clients, caregivers and healthcare providers. In total, the number of reports increased from 130 in 2020 to 330 in the past year. This is about inappropriate behavior towards those in need of help.
In disability care, the number of reports doubled in 2023 compared to the previous year, from about fifty to a hundred. In mental health care the number increased from fifty to seventy. In primary care – the reports mainly concerned physiotherapists – the number increased from forty to sixty.
In the case of primary care, the IGJ received more reports via the National Healthcare Reporting Point than via healthcare providers themselves, who are obliged to pass on reports of inappropriate behavior to the inspectorate. Three-quarters of the reports concern female clients, and about three-quarters of the suspected perpetrators are men. The inspectorate had previously received reports about seven percent of healthcare providers.
According to the inspectorate, the increased number is actually a positive sign. It does not necessarily mean that transgressive behavior happens more often: it does mean that people are more alert to it and more attention is paid to it by some healthcare providers. The IGJ believes that this is only “the tip of the iceberg” and is now looking at how healthcare providers can best remove the barriers for clients to report sexual misconduct.
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