World-class Dutch postnatal care faces crisis, union warns

A key pillar of Dutch maternity services that has led to the Netherlands being hailed as a world leader in postnatal care is under threat, healthcare unions in the country have warned.

- Senay Boztas

The Netherlands has long prided itself on its unique system of kraamzorg (maternity care), whereby a maternity care assistant comes to a new family's home for eight days after a baby's birth, caring for mother and infant.

But yesterday, five healthcare unions presented a manifesto and petition of 15,244 signatures to MPs in The Hague, and warned a shortage of labour and competition from other care jobs had left the system in crisis.

The petition calls for a guarantee of the future of good kraamzorg for all mothers and newborns in the Netherlands.

The unions want a dedicated ministerial representative and better pay, including for "waiting" time, where care workers have to be available in case babies are born but receive about €11.50 (£9.80) for an eight-hour shift, before tax. A typical contract of 130 hours a month includes 244 to 265 hours on standby, according to the FNV trade union.