Antwerp (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Waiting times at Antwerp’s Praktijk aan de Stroom for patients without a GP stretch to weeks. Authorities urge: don’t wait until you’re ill to find one.
The Mediahuis newspapers have reported this, and vzw Stroom has verified the information.
“The shortage is so great that you should not wait until you are ill. Proactively look for it. That way you have a GP when you need him”,
It sounds.
Due to a lack of general practitioners, the practice was established at the Cadix hospital two months ago.
The website huisartszoeker.be was founded in Antwerp, Belgium, at the end of April in response to the long-standing issue of a scarcity of general practitioners.
Residents of Antwerp without a general practitioner can sign up on this website to locate one.
“The aim is on the one hand to offer a solution to people who cannot find a GP and on the other hand to create some breathing space for GPs who are over-demanded and have patient stops,”
Says Liesje Eyckmans, chair of the Minerva GP association and chair of the non-profit organisation Stroom.
“The website was created based on data from all Antwerp GPs, which means that as a patient you no longer have to call 20 practices, but can enter your address via one website and search for an available GP in your area.”
Patients are temporarily sent to Praktijk aan de Stroom in the event that a general practitioner is unavailable. This practice was established especially for those waiting to be seen by a general practitioner.
The fact that there is a major shortage of GPs is now once again evident from the number of people who have registered via the website.
“As we expected, there is a huge demand. In 2 months, we have already referred more than 1,200 people. Half of them could go straight to a regular practice, the other half were referred to Praktijk aan de Stroom”,
Says Eyckmans.
Due to the high demand, waiting times at Praktijk aan de Stroom are increasing to at least 2 weeks.
“If you see that more than 600 people are referred to Praktijk aan de Stroom in 2 months, you can imagine that it is not easy to get an intake interview on the day itself.”
“We are going to see if there is a budget to hire an additional nurse. We also feel that there is a need for a social worker, because there is a lot of administration involved in getting patients to a permanent practice.”
It is also important that you start looking for one yourself in time, it is said.
“The shortage of general practitioners is so great in Antwerp
Comments
6 responses to “Antwerp GP Shortage: Long Wait at Praktijk aan de Stroom”
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Seems like in Antwerp, finding a GP is like hunting for a Michelin star in a kebab shop—good luck with that! 😂 Just don’t forget to book your appointment three weeks in advance; after all, who doesn’t love a little waiting game?
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If you’re planning to schedule an appointment at Praktijk aan de Stroom, might as well pack a picnic and bring your reading glasses—two weeks of waiting sounds like a delightful way to catch up on all that light reading! 📚😅
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Looks like in Antwerp, finding a GP is now more challenging than getting a table at a trendy bistro on a Saturday night. Who knew healthcare would turn into a game of hide and seek? 🤷♂️
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If you’re feeling a bit under the weather in Antwerp, I hope you’ve packed a picnic for that two-week wait at Praktijk aan de Stroom—who knew that getting a doctor could become such a trendy pastime? 😂✌️
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Looks like booking a GP in Antwerp is now just as exclusive as getting a table at a trendy restaurant. Might as well send out a save-the-date for my next cold! 😅
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Seems like finding a GP in Antwerp is now as difficult as spotting a unicorn in a pub – good luck with that, mate! 😅 Just remember, the earlier you start searching, the less chance you’ll have to resort to Google Maps for a hospital tour!
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