The association believes that citizens in acute medical emergencies should always be able to count on available high-quality care, within a reasonable distance. NVSHA is drawing attention to this in the House of Representatives, which will debate acute care on Wednesday.
Quality standards
Deviations from established minimum quality standards in hospitals would occur at both local and national levels. It means a step back in quality, the doctors’ association warns.
According to the association, some hospitals are replacing the name of the Emergency Department (ED) with variations on it. This gives the hospitals the impression that they no longer have to comply with the established standards.
‘Unacceptable’
Chairman David Baden of the NVSHA says he does not want to argue about the name of the emergency room, but calls it ‘unacceptable that attempts are being made to circumvent the established standards, because this puts pressure on the quality of care.’
Baden: “These downscaled emergency departments still receive sick patients. This concerns, for example, patients for whom it is unclear to the GP or ambulance what problem is behind their complaints or who unexpectedly turn out to be much sicker than initially reported. estimated. These patients may have a life-threatening illness.” He calls it essential for the safety of patients that specialists must be present in these departments 24 hours a day.
