In November, the 2008 edition of the annual Euro Health Consumer Index came out with its facts and figures for the year. This publication, which comprises 34 indicators of quality, ranked the Dutch healthcare system as “the best” in Europe.
The overall ranking was divided into six categories: e-health, patient rights, patient information, waiting time for treatment, waiting time for pharmaceuticals, and the speed at which new drugs are deployed.
The report went on to single out Denmark, Ireland, Czech Republic and Hungary for praise due to their noteworthy improvement ratings. Not all in the report was positive however. It also gave a damning warning that standards may be falling, particularly in terms of patient waiting times in many member states.
