Health minister Edith Schippers is to look again at the dual role carried out by the Dutch health authority NZA, which both regulates the market and draws up policy.

On Monday a highly criticial report into the functioning of the NZa leaked out. It criticised the conflict of interest between the NZa’s various functions, its poor HR strategy and other shortcomings.

Schippers said in an initial reaction that she agreed there was a potential conflict of interest but pointed out the report said both the NZa and the ministry had carried out their allotted tasks.

She has also given the organisation three months to improve its personnel and IT policies.

Interference

The report, leaked by the NRC and Nos television, called for a major shake-up in the way the Dutch health authority operates, saying the current set-up is vulnerable to conflicts of interest and government interference.

The NZA should also have a supervisory board and its two-man management board stretched to three, the report said.

The two board members resigned in June after the NRC published a string of revelations about their expenses and hospitality agreements with insurance companies and drugs companies.