In the Summary Report on the implementation of the Long-term Care Act 2024-2025 the Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZa) observes that care offices have improved the execution of their statutory duties. Compared to last year, care offices take more control regarding their care obligations and report earlier when there is a risk of care discontinuity. However, they are still insufficiently able to substantiate their achieved results.
From executor to director
This directing role in carrying out the care obligation is crucial for organizing timely and appropriate care. Especially when adjustments are needed if it does not or hardly succeeds. This also includes that they can demonstrate what results their efforts yield for their clients. This challenging task requires care offices to learn from their experiences and from each others good examples and thereby improve their approach. Residents of the Netherlands must be able to trust that care offices proactively take their role. The NZa is positive about the movement care offices make from executor to director and continues to monitor this critically.
Timely notifications of care discontinuity
Last year, in our Summary Report 2023-2024 we expressed our concerns about the timely detection and action of care offices when care discontinuity threatens. We have discussed this with care offices and health insurers. It was insufficiently clear when the NZa needed to be informed. As a result, the work agreements for notifications were evaluated and adjusted. This has led to improvements at care offices. We see that signals are submitted earlier and more completely, allowing faster actions and clients experiencing less care discontinuity. We also see that the processes for timely reporting of risks have improved.
Supervision by the NZa
We expect care offices to demonstrate how they comply with the care obligation for their clients. This means they have insight into the extent to which clients receive timely, appropriate care and can demonstrably (re)act based on this. In the coming years, the NZa will focus its supervision more specifically on this. In 2026, in addition to our supervision investigations, we will hold periodic consultations in which we monitor agreements and progress on improvements regarding the fulfillment of the care obligation.
