Quarter of Dutch paediatric intensive care beds closed

One in four paediatric intensive care beds in the Netherlands are not in use, a report from the government's health inspectorate has said. Dutch MPs have described it as “scandalous.”

Paediatric Intensive Care in the Netherlands reports a “serious shortage” of available beds in paediatric intensive care departments and a “great problem” in finding appropriate transport with qualified ambulance staff (http://www.igz.nl/). Though beds are available, the budget and trained paediatricians and nurses are lacking.

Of the 107 beds for the Netherlands population of …