Average absenteeism due to illness was still higher in May than before the corona crisis; between 6.1% and 8.6% in the various sectors. It is highest in nursing and care homes and community care.
A month ago, 43% of hospitals were able to fully scale up. Between 100,000 and 120,000 are still waiting for treatment in a hospital, estimates the Dutch Healthcare Authority. “In general, hospitals are not yet able to shorten waiting lists,” the NZa writes. “This is worrying, because there are people who have been waiting longer for an intervention or treatment as a result of the pandemic.”
IC-dependent planable care
The NZa urges hospitals to find solutions for the longer waiting lists. Hospitals have been asked to provide insight into which patients are waiting. “On the basis of this, targeted collaboration can be sought with care providers in the region that have more space.” In addition, the NZa points out that health insurers can mediate elsewhere; a hospital or an independent clinic. The NZa also wants health insurers to proactively enter into discussions with hospitals about the long waiting lists.
In particular, IC-dependent planable care is still being postponed. There are three hospitals that cannot fully deliver critically planable care within the six-week standard.