Member since 1996
Last update January 2013
EPSO contact person Paul Robben
EPSO contact person Jan Vesseur
1. COUNTRY/REGION: The Netherlands.
Website of the supervisory organisation: www.igz.nl
Is this website in English or partly in English? Yes, partly.
NAME: Health Care Inspectorate
In Dutch: Inspectie voor de Gezondheidszorg (IGZ).
Contactperson(s)
o Name and function: Jan Vesseur, chief inspector for patient safety,
ICT and international affairs
Address PO.Box 392, 8000 AJ Zwolle, NL.
Email j.vesseur@igz.nl
Telephone number +31 (0)38 4671881
Mobile phone +31 (0)6 15035606
o Name and function Paul Robben, consultant research and innovation IGZ, professor at Institute of Health Policy and Management, Erasmus University, Rotterdam.
Address Postbus 2680, 3500 GR Utrecht, NL
Email pb.robben@igz.nl.
Telephone number +31 (0)30-2338771
Mobile phone +31 (06)-15035778
2. THE STRUCTURE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)
o The Head of the Supervisory Organisation (name and function) .................... dr. Ronnie van Diemen-Steenvoorde, Inspector-general
o Size of the Supervisory Organisation:
Number of inspections/supervisions or number of inspectors or number of full time equivalents of people working in the organisation; number of hospitals or health institutions under supervision
Medical doctors, Psychiatrist, Dentist, Midwives, Nurses, Lawyers, Pharmacists, Others, in total 150 inspectors
Supervisory field:
8 Academic Hospitals
100 Hospitals
8400 General Practitioners
1800 Pharmacies
8000 Dentists
2080 Midwives
>1300 Homes for the Elderly
>300 Nursing Homes
Institutions for Disabled People (60000 beds in total)
36 Community Public Health Organisations
All Pharmaceutical products and the production of the pharmaceutical products
All medical technology
o Number of people working in the organisation
500 fte.
o Other relevant information about the Supervisory Organisation in your
country or region
there are two central offices (the Hague and Utrecht and four regional offices (Amsterdam, the Hague, Zwolle, Den Bosch)
o Relation with the Department of Health.: the IGZ is an independant part of the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport.
o Web address www.igz.nl
3. THE SCOPE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)
o Is there supervision on health care in general? Yes.
o Is there supervision on hospitals? Yes.
o Is there supervision on other health care institutions like nursing homes/
convalescent homes? Yes.
o Is there supervision on the production and the use of medicines? Yes.
o Is there a supervisory relation with health care professionals?
If yes, what kind of relation?
o Yes, the IGZ is the supervisory body for health care professionals with the power to investigate and take measures.
o Other relevant information about the scope of the supervisory organisation.
4. METHODS OF INSPECTATION OR SUPERVISION
o What methods of inspection or supervision are used in your country/region? General and systematic supervision by the use of performance indicators and general supervision visits; Thematic supervision at a sample of the institutions; Incident supervision in the case of calamities .
o Other information about the methods of inspection in your country /region
5. WHAT IS THE COMPETENCE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION IN YOUR COUNTRY?
o Is the supervisory organisation entitled to use compulsory measures
(sanction/repression/enforcement)?...
o Yes, by law the IGZ can give an order to a professional or to a health care organisation to take measures for safety reasons. IGZ can also ask for a directive of the Minister of Health. Finally the IGZ can close an institution. For health care professionals the IGZ inspector acts as a public prosecutor for the disciplinary board. A special act (2009) gives the possibility to give a fine.
o Is the supervisory organisation entitled to take precautions and implement measures to prevent accidents or incidents?
Yes, by asking for changes and if not executed by giving an order.
o Does the supervisory organisation have the authority to close institutions
or stop non proper healthcare?
Yes, by giving an order.
o Is the supervisory organisation allowed to interfere in other ways?............
If yes, in what way? ....................................................................................
o Other relevant information about the competence of the supervisory organisation..................
6. INTERESTING ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS IN YOUR COUNTRY/REGION
IGZ supervises the progress in the safety programme of the Dutch hospitals and take measures when hospitals are staying behind.
IGZ is discussing cooperation with accreditation organisations.
