The Dutch Review Committee published its 2013 Annual Report. The total number of reported cases increased to 4829 (in 2012 this was 4188). In the schemes presented below one can see that the increase occurred in all categories, and more or less in the same proportion. Only special mention must be made of the increase in situations of beginning dementia (42 -> 97) and psychiatric diagnoses (14 -> 42). The Committee signals that “there is an apparent increasing readiness amongst physicians to comply with requests in general and those in case of dementia and psychiatry in particular. It remains difficult to find an unambiguous explanation for this increase in numbers of reported cases (RJ: scientific data shows that >85% of euthanasia and physician assisted suicides are reported) , doubling from 2008 (2331) to 2013 (4821)”. An earlier survey into this increasing figures two years ago, performed together with Erasmus MC University Rotterdam could not put a finger on the causes.
Only 5 cases (0,1%) were reported as ‘not careful’ to the authorities. All five concerned procedural safeguards.
Below the data of 2013 (compared with 2012):
|
|
2012 |
2013 |
|
GP |
3777 |
4281 |
|
Specialist |
171 |
213 |
|
Elderly Care specialist |
166 |
193 |
|
Other (incl. Life End Clinic) |
74 |
129 |
|
|
2012 |
|
2013 |
|
|
|
n |
% |
n |
% |
|
Total reported 2012 |
4188 |
100,0 |
4829 |
100 |
|
Cancer |
3251 |
77, 8 |
3588 |
74,3 |
|
Cardio vascular |
158 |
3,7 |
223 |
4,6 |
|
Nervous system |
257 |
6,1 |
294 |
6,0 |
|
Pulmonary disease (COPD) |
152 |
3,6 |
174 |
3,6 |
|
Dementia |
42 |
1,0 |
97 |
2,0 |
|
Psychiatry |
14 |
0,3 |
42 |
0,8 |
|
other |
144 |
3,4 |
160 |
3,3 |
|
Combination of diagnoses |
172 |
4,1 |
251 |
5,1 |
|
|
2012 |
2013 |
|
In hospital |
194 |
240 |
|
In nursing home |
139 |
160 |
|
In elderly home |
206 |
268 |
|
In hospice |
250 |
295 |
|
Elsewhere |
64 |
66 |