Doctors wary of Ireland following footsteps of Dutch healthcare system

THE Dutch model of healthcare touted by the Government as a viable alternative to our existing two-tier system has reduced waiting lists in the Netherlands, but health costs have doubled.

In addition, patients can wait up to a week to see a family doctor and consultations are regularly limited to 10 minutes of the doctor’s time.

The creaks appearing in the five-year-old Dutch model were outlined to delegates attending the annual general meeting of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) in Killarney yesterday.