Paediatric Care in The Netherlands: State of Affairs, Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

There are many societal developments in The Netherlands, such as a rising and changing demand for care and support and a paradigm shift from curation to prevention, that currently—and in the near future—will have an impact on paediatric care. These developments both reveal potential risks in paediatric care and affect practices that require future improvement. In this viewpoint, we first present the most pressing developments for paediatrics, and we demonstrate why and how Dutch paediatricians have renewed their vision on paediatric care in order to cope with a changing society. It is a vision towards the year 2030 that gives children and paediatric care the right place in the Dutch healthcare landscape to guarantee accessible, high-quality, and effective care for every child at the right time. Realising this renewed vision requires however not only an adjustment from paediatricians and paediatricians in training, but also from professionals who work with them and from the Government that can facilitate or accelerate the implementation of the renewed vision in various ways.