Sick of waiting in the Netherlands

Thousands of residents in need of healthcare have been on lengthy waiting lists across the Netherlands; the number continues to rise.

In December 2024, approximately 5,300 Dutch residents were registered on waiting lists, and by March, the situation only declined, reported the Dutch Healthcare Authority.

Not only does the waiting time for treatment appear to rise, but the majority of general practitioners no longer register new patients, with mental healthcare specialists holding the patients on hold for more than four weeks at least.

The most critical cases occur in Heerenveen, Tilburg, Enschede, Leeuwarden, Apeldoorn, and Zwolle. 

As the salaries and office costs hold fixed amounts across the country, the practitioners working in areas with higher living costs struggle the most. “This is a poor decision and is unfair to doctors,” argued the Association for General Practitioners in Amsterdam, Huisarten Coöperatie Amstelland. 

The City Council is now developing a plan of action by allocating the professionals to their own workplaces, according to what they can afford in each case.