Healthcare and welfare
Good health is important in itself as well as having an impact on social participation, employment and education. Access to health care and social services is therefore important, but not obvious to newcomers.
Insights
It is important to distinguish between the availability of healthcare services and access to healthcare.
The fact that services are available does not mean that people who are new to the Netherlands have access to them. Newcomers experience many obstacles in accessing healthcare, such as language barriers, lack of knowledge about the Dutch healthcare system, and the gatekeeping role of doctor's assistants.
It is crucial that people are able to tell their story in their own language and understand doctors' advice.
In order to receive the right care as quickly as possible, it is crucial that people are able to tell their story in their own language and understand the advice given by doctors. It is not yet regulated in all healthcare sectors and/or clear how and when to call in interpreters in a care pathway. As a result, children sometimes accompany their parents to interpret for them. Not only is this a heavy responsibility for children, but they are also unfamiliar with the technical language used in healthcare.
Design questions
How do you achieve access to healthcare?
How can we organize effective and equal access to healthcare for newcomers?
How do you provide healthcare in your own language?
How can access to home language health care be secured nationwide within all sectors of health care?