Facts & Figures on medical errors

• IEU-Alliance is aware of the fact that 90% of treatment in hospitals has good results, but IEU-Alliance is seriously concerned about the inadequate and disrespectful way of dealing with victims medical errors caused by the medical industry.


• 10% of medical treatment in hospitals results in a medical error;

1% of this percentage is a severe medical error, thus 1 on 1000 patients becomes disabled or dies, NPSA/NHS 2006.
• In 1986 it became publicly known that doctors did not register, report or investigate medical errors. Article Jaap Walg in Intermediar June 13 & 20, 1986.


• On April the 5th, 2006 N.Oudendijk, deputy Inspector-General of the Inspectorate of Health Care announced, during the Faster Better Conference, in the VU hospital in Amsterdam: 'hospitals are unsafe'. During this conference IEU-Alliance/IEU-Alliance offered Minister Hoogervorst our Declaration, photo available.


• On August 21th 2006 N.Oudendijk, deputy Inspector-General of the Inspectorate of Health Care answered a question of journalist Joke Mat whether more should be done to protect patients? He answered: 'That’s the responsibility of the hospitals. We (the Health Inspectorate) are not concerned and have no interest at all in closing half of the hospitals’’ (NRC August 21th 2006).'


• Damage could have been prevented in case of 30.000 hospital patients in 2004, (NIVEL report, 2007).


• In 10.000 cases, hospital patients had permanent damage because of hospitalization. The damage to 6000 patients could have been prevented. (NIVEL report 2007)


• Hospitalization with avoidable damage lasts for an average of 10 days and costs approximately 5.600 euros extra (NIVEL report , 2007)


• On a yearly basis, medical errors cost society 167 million euros. This amount of money is paid for by healthcare insurance companies, since the bills of hospitals and doctors, regardless of the quality and results of treatment, is paid to them.


• The Health Inspection repeatedly confirmed that the numbers of the NIVEL-rapport are twice as high at least!! (Chief- Inspector J. Vesseur, May 8th 2007 & deputy Inspector-General N. Oudendijk, September 6th 2007. Each day, twenty persons die and twenty persons become disabled because of medical errors in Dutch hospitals. (IEU-Alliance, epidemiological survey, 2006)


• 98-99 % of the medical doctors doesn’t report medical errors. 87% of the nurses doesn’t report errors.,prof. R. Amalberti, 14th Jan. 2008, Utrecht.


• The Health Inspectorate refuses to investigate complaints of victims of medical errors, letter Inspection 26 Febr. 2007. It concerns thousands of complaints a year. These fall under the Law Public Administration (Wet Openbaarheid Bestuur) and are public, yet no journalist sees a reason to view these complaints.


• Medical errors are consequently not investigated, not reported and not prevented.


• Little is known about medical errors caused by general practitioners.

These errors are not reported, not investigated and not prevented. Nivel report 15 February 2008 Download the report.

• General practitioners yearly receive 55 euros for each registered patient. With a practice of 2.000 patients this means a guaranteed income of 110.000 euros a year.


• Doctors do not give their patients and relatives honest information and remedial medical care, despite their obligations of the Law on Medical Treatment Agreement, WGBO. This is acknowledged November 7th 2007 by the Dutch Association of Hospitals, the Association of Medical Consultants and the Association of Nurses and Caregivers Netherlands.


• Peter Holland, physician and chair of the physicians association KNMG denies this acknowledgment: Broadcast radio 1 news 8 th February 2008 and 12th February 2008 at the RVZ symposium, Utrecht.


• SIN-NL/IEU-Alliance have formulated the legal provision Tell & Repair which calls for honesty and openness as well as adequate remedial medical care. It is based on the Harvard- consensus rapport 2006 When things go wrong, responding to adverse events.


• Mr. J. Legemaate, Lawyer of the KNMG states that ‘the document of Harvard Hospitals , without many adjustments, can be used as guiding principle to apply the right of the patient to information in the Dutch health care. (J. Legemaate c.s. (2007) Veilig Incident Melden. Context en randvoorwaarden. Bohn, Stafleu of Loghum: Houten 2007, p. 148).


• On November 7th 2007, the Dutch Association of Hospitals, the Association of Medical Consultants and the Association of Nurses and Caregivers Netherlands obliged themselves to formulate a proposal, before March 15th 2008, to give the current and future victims medical honest information and adequate remedial medical care. They also obliged themselves to base it on the Tell & Repair proposal.


• On December 19th 2007 drs. N.C. Oudendijk, Inspector-General of the Inspection Health care, signed this enactment.


• On the 13th of February 2008 the Dutch Ministry of Healthcare wrote: - that they attach much value to honest information and remedial medical care to victims of medical errors - that they would imply the Tell and Repair provision in their considerations in the preparation of the new law Client and Quality of Care, letter available.


• On the 10th of March 2008 the Dutch Association of Hospitals, the Association of Medical Consultants and the Association of Nurses and Caregivers Netherlands wrote: - that they will organise a conference on the 23rd of April 2008 to list the wishes of victims of medical errors and - that the Tell and Repair provision will be formulated as as official NTA protocol at the end of 2008.


• If the KLM aviation company would deliver the same quality as the Dutch hospitals, they would not fly!

Important articles and publications

• Slachtoffers medische fouten nog steeds in de kou, John Beer (advocaat), De Telegraaf, 12/02/2008. Download


• Vraagteken bij stijging kosten van ziekenhuis met 8 mld, Frits Baltesen, NRC Handelsblad, 31/01/2008. Download


• Stand van zaken wetsvoorstel Vertel & Herstel, IEU-Alliance/IEU-Alliance 19/12/2007. Download


• Cijfers Medische fouten in ziekenhuizen internationaal, NPSA/NHS (2006). Download


• Epidemologisch overzicht medische fouten, IEU-Alliance (2006). Download


• Vooral de patiënt lijdt als artsen ruziën, NRC Handelsblad, 21/08/2006. Download


• Medische Missers, Jaap Walg, Intermediair 13/06/1986 & Medische Missers/2, Jaap Walg, Intermediair 20/06/1986. Download (ca. 7,5MB)