[The Department of Geriatrics in The Netherlands. A comment on the advice of the National Council for Public Health and the College for Hospital Provisions concerning departments of geriatrics in general hospitals].

In September 1987 the central advisory bodies for the Dutch health care system issued their advisory report on the further development of departments of geriatric medicine in general hospitals in the Netherlands. The report is awaiting judgement by the Dutch government. The lack of training capacity seems the main problem for the future of geriatric medicine in the Netherlands. Short-term plans aim to strengthen the six existing general hospital departments of geriatric medicine, to increase their training capacity and to enhance their influence by giving them 'satellite-functions' such as satellite-out patient clinics and satellite-consultations. Long-term plans are to set up departments of geriatric medicine in university hospitals, in order to further stimulate training, teaching and research. The authors favour a faster development of university hospital departments of geriatric medicine.