Patients should pay for a second medical opinion, Frank de Grave, head of the medical specialists’ organisation, will tell television programme Altijd Wat on Tuesday evening.

The programme and magazine Arts en Auto conducted a survey in which two out of three doctors said patients should pay if a second doctor is consulted.

According to De Grave, second opinions rarely lead to new diagnoses, while they create costs that have already been paid for from basic health insurance.

Budget cuts

He is to recommend the move to health minister Edith Schippers as part of her budget cuts, although there is no mention of how much it will save.

De Grave says this is a defensible cut because the basic healthcare package is extensive and patients currently pay for very little.

Schippers asked the medical sector to come up with possible savings earlier this year.