Clear judgements on complaints

Parents of a patient who want a formal judgement on a complaint can contact the ‘Oordeelscommissie’ (Complaints Committee) . The committee will investigate the complaint and advise the Board of Directors. This ensures that parents and healthcare providers feel heard and that we continue to learn from our experience.

Parents can contact the ombudswomen with their complaints and expressions of dissatisfaction. They handle almost all complaints themselves. Only rarely do parents want a judgment from the Board of Directors. In these cases, parents can request an assessment from the ‘Oordeelscommissie’ (Complaints Committee) through the ombudswoman. To clarify, in 2024, the ombudswoman handled 47 expressions of dissatisfaction and 4 complaints, and one complaint was submitted to the Complaints Committee.

Impactful

‘We receive very few complaints, but when we do, they have a significant impact,’ says Florien van Woerden, legal advisor and secretary of the Complaints Committee. ‘Four complaints have been handled in the past three years. The committee ensures care and clarity in complex situations.’ She cites an example: ‘Parents were concerned about the decision-making process in the tumor board. The complaint was declared unfounded, but the committee proposed an improvement measure: setting out the tumor board’s working method in a SOP (standard operating procedure).’

More than an incident

Sabine Plasschaert recently joined the committee, succeeding Marianne van de Wetering. She says: ‘I think it's important that we listen carefully to both sides of the story. A complaint is often more than an incident; it affects trust.’

To strengthen the representation of nurses, Jacqueline Zoon was added as a care provider- member. The Complaints Committee now consists of four healthcare professionals, one external member, one external chair, and a secretary. The external chairperson monitors the order of the proceedings and provides an independent perspective, while the external member highlights the patient's perspective.

Members

The Complaints Committee works transparently, carefully, and with consideration for all parties involved. Florien says: ‘We conduct thorough research and openly share our findings. We collect all relevant medical data necessary for properly assessing the complaint, and we organize a meeting with the parents and healthcare professionals most involved, in which all outstanding questions are addressed.’ In this way, the committee contributes to the quality of care and trust in the Máxima Center.

The Complaints Committee consists of the following members: Kristien Struwe, independent chair, Maaike Lindeboom, external member, Jacqueline Zoon, Auke Beishuizen, Annelies Mavinkurve and Sabine Plasschaert, with Florien van Woerden as secretary.