Regular patient care is slowly starting up again: survey

Photo: DutchNews.nl
Photo: DutchNews.nl

Regular patient care at hospitals and family doctors’ practices is slowly getting back on track following the coronavirus peak, a survey by patient lobby group Patientenfederatie has found.

Of the 7,000 respondents 38% had appointments that were cancelled because of the outbreak. A third of those said they had now been seen by a doctor or specialist.

However, four in 10 people who had an appointment or want to make one are still waiting their turn. Of those waiting for a hospital appointment, over 60% have been waiting longer than six months and three in 10 saying they are ‘very concerned’ about the effects of the delay on their health.

Almost half of the respondents said they had seen their family doctor after their appointment had been postponed. But some 20% said they would not visit their family doctor just yet because they did not think it was safe, or did not want to overburden the practice.

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