Family doctors association LHV has now agreed to sign up to the government’s new healthcare accord which aims to modernise the approach to care in the coming years.

Eleven other organisations have already signed the agreement, but family doctors wanted health insurers to commit to funding longer appointment with patients and more guarantees on evening and weekend rates.

Health minister Ernst Kuipers has welcomed the LHV’s decision to cooperate. ‘By working with everyone involved, we can come up with the solutions needed to make sure healthcare remains accessible, affordable and of good quality in the future,’ the minister said.

The aim of the Integraal Zorgakkoord (integral care accord or IZA) is to put more focus on prevention and efficiency, while keeping healthcare affordable.

It includes plans to slash red tape, concentrate complex care at fewer locations and make it more expensive for people to use care services which do not have a contract with a health insurance company.

Care which is labour intensive, expensive and which has a major impact on the environment, may also be subject to extra checks