The national family doctors’ association LHV voted in favour of supporting the new digital patient record system at a meeting of branch organisations in Utrecht on Tuesday night.

Of the 23 branches, 16 voted in favour, two abstained and five, including Amsterdam, voted against.

The LHV is the biggest family doctors’ organisation in the country, with some 11,500 members. Despite the vote in favour, it will still be up to individual doctors to decide if they want to participate.

Since January 1, patients are being asked if they want to opt in to the system, which allows other healthcare professionals to access their records. The aim is to increase efficiency and reduce medical errors.

So far, some 400,000 people have agreed to be included.

The smaller VPH, which has 650 members, is planning to take legal action against the new system, which it says has serious implications for patient privacy.