The COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands: Impact on primary care

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic started its impact on the health system in The Netherlands at the end of February 2020. In Dutch health care, family physicians (FPs) play a central role. FPs had to decide which COVID-19 (suspect) patients could be managed at home, should be seen by a medical specialist, or admitted to a hospital. The authors present the first empirical data of the impact of COVID-19 on daily practice, studying the changes in presented health problems and demand for primary care for March 2020 with March 2019 as a reference. The data illustrate the large impact of COVID-19 on Dutch family practice from the onset of the epidemic. Substantial changes in practice organization had to be pursued, and the demand for primary care changed rapidly as well. The authors stress the importance of securing care for all health problems in primary care’s preparations for a major epidemic, to avoid the collateral damage of health systems’ single-minded focus on the epidemic.