In August 2013, I returned to the Netherlands and resumed my work at the Ministry, where I took on the role of project leader in the long-term care department. My focus was to tackle waste within long-term care, as healthcare costs were escalating and there was growing concern about inefficiencies. Additionally, people voiced complaints about the significant waste in the system—medications were being discarded, nurses were spending excessive time on administrative tasks, and food in care institutions was often thrown away.
A summary of the project, co-authored with Chief Economist Patrick Jeurissen, was published in Eurohealth.
The project concluded in 2016 with a closing seminar titled “100% Care,” where we reviewed our findings and discussed future steps to improve efficiency in long-term care.
Fred Lafeber 