Headlines June
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Prorail: A massive system failure has led to huge problems in train traffic in the Netherlands.
When the outage started, there was also a concert at the Ziggo whose attendees could not go home after the concert and had to sleep on available sleeping spots. You can read more about what consequences this has had in the articles below. For images click on url's at the end of each article.
No train traffic around Amsterdam still due to malfunction, ProRail opens backup in Utrecht
Also this morning no trains are running around Amsterdam and Schiphol due to a persistent IT failure at ProRail traffic control in Amsterdam. The problem also leads to cancellations and delays on other routes, NS reports. Travelers are advised to arrange alternative transport or to work from home. It is still unclear how long the outage will last. If all goes well, train traffic can be resumed step by step from 9 a.m. "But it is a very complex ICT malfunction," says ProRail chairman of the board John Voppen.
'Never happened before'
The cause of the problem with the traffic control center in Amsterdam has not yet been identified. That is why it was decided last night to divert to Utrecht. The hope is that from this backup location, with other computers, the system will work stable again. Voppen: "As far as I know, this has never happened before in the eighteen years that I have been working for ProRail."
The problem with air traffic control in Amsterdam arose yesterday afternoon around 5 p.m. Train traffic was resumed at the beginning of the evening, but the disruption soon arose again. An unknown number of people were forced to spend the night at a station or a reception location.
Sleep in foil blankets
Photos and videos of train passengers wrapped in aluminum foil blankets are circulating on social media. "My delay is now around the clock," someone writes on Twitter. "I'm on a train, which has been standing still for 3 hours, but it is nice and warm."
Other travelers call it "unbelievable" that buses are not used to replace trains. According to an NS spokesman, this is not feasible. "With such large passenger numbers, it is impossible to drive in buses."
Other departure times
Since many train routes also run through the capital or end there, there is also a lot of disruption in the rest of the country. Think of alternative departure times, delays or train cancellations. The NS travel planner contains the most up-to-date information. The ProRail spokesperson emphasizes that "many trains are running". Except around the capital, there was no train traffic around Utrecht last night. Trains were running there again this morning. According to the security region, about a hundred stranded travelers have been accommodated in the Jaarbeurs. Stretchers have been set up there and food and drinks have been provided.
'Regret overnight stays at the station'
"ProRail and NS regret that we were unable to bring many travelers home last night and that they had to spend the night at the station," NS writes in a statement. "This is not what travelers should expect from us." Partly because of a concert by pop star Harry Styles in the Johan Cruijff Arena, many train travelers were on their feet in Amsterdam. There was also a concert in AFAS Live last night. In total there were about 55,000 concert visitors in the Arena area.
Visitors to the Harry Styles concert are stranded at Bijlmer Arena station
Visitors to the Harry Styles concert in the Johan Cruijff Arena who could not come home due to the train malfunction around Amsterdam have been taken care of in the Ziggo Dome. According to the ANP, about 500 people were still waiting at that location around 1 a.m. until they could go home. The shelter was intended for concertgoers who could not arrange transport or had to wait a long time for it.
The rail manager previously reported that all screens at the traffic control post at Amsterdam Central had failed and that resetting did not help. Due to the problems, traffic control was unable to monitor train traffic. Telephone contact with drivers was still there, but train traffic could not be handled with this. ProRail says it is working "with all its might" on a solution.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2477766-treinverkeer-rond-amsterdam-nog-plat-door-storing-prorail-opent-back-up-in-utrecht
See also resources below: You have translate these into Englisch
https://www.prorail.nl/nieuws/storing-treinverkeer-van-en-naar-amsterdam
https://nos.nl/artikel/2477720-ns-herstart-treinverkeer-na-storing-bij-amsterdam-hele-avond-nog-problemen
https://nos.nl/artikel/2477821-urenlange-treinstoring-hakt-erin-bij-reizigers-het-was-koud
https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6266708/prorail-wist-het-niet-meer-dus-trok-voor-het-eerst-een-noodplan-uit-de-kast.html
https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6266590/harry-styles-fans-slapen-door-storing-in-ziggo-dome-rode-kruis-helpt-in-utrecht.html
https://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/3590801/eerste-claims-na-storing-treinverkeer-binnen-ns-verwacht-er-nog-veel-meer
Problems at ING over, customers angry because of yet another malfunction in a short time
ING was again hit by a malfunction on Friday afternoon. Customers of the bank were not allowed access to the app and internet banking. As a result, they could not access their bank account and therefore could not transfer money. The bank reports to NU.nl just before 5 p.m. that the problems have been resolved. Customers of the bank were notified in the app that logging in was not possible. They were advised to try again later. Customers could read on the website that internet banking was temporarily unavailable.
There were complaints on social media about the outage. Customers were particularly dissatisfied with the large number of malfunctions at ING recently. Tens of thousands of reports were received on Allestoringen after 1 p.m. "Customers are currently unable to log in via the app and online banking," an ING spokesperson told NU.nl shortly afterwards. "It is also not possible to pay with iDEAL. This applies to both private and business customers."
"Our services have become available again step by step," says a spokesperson just before 5 p.m. "We will of course continue to carefully monitor our online services." The spokesperson apologizes to the customers on behalf of the bank for the inconvenience.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/tech/6266270/problemen-ing-voorbij-klanten-boos-vanwege-zoveelste-storing-in-korte-tijd.html
Also in this month, a huge fire in an industrial area destroyed several businesses. More than 20 companies have suffered damage
About 20 companies damaged by fire in Ter Aar, investigation into cause next week
'20 to 22' companies suffered damage during the huge fire at the business park in Ter Aar. This is what fire chief Hans Zuidijk said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. "That is different from being completely reduced to ashes," he added: it can also be smoke and water damage. Nothing is yet known about the cause of the fire, which started in the TN Plastics building and then spread to another building. That is still being researched. The fire service expects to start work on this in the course of next week.
'I've been working for the fire service for 39 years and I've never seen a fire of this size,' says Zuidijk. He sketches a timeline of the course of the fire. The first report of 'big black clouds of smoke' at the plastic company on Hertog van Beijerenstraat was made on Friday evening at 9:22 pm, nine minutes later the first fire truck was on site. 'They made an attempt to stop the fire to that part that was on fire at that time', says Zuidijk. “But they were faced with a very rapid fire spread and many explosions. That made it too unsafe to stay in the vicinity of the fire. So it has been decided to withdraw, first and foremost for their own safety.' Zuidijk explains what the first firefighters did then. 'At such a moment it makes no sense to throw water on the fire, but the fire brigade must find a place where it is likely that the fire can be stopped. Enough units have to be there to really make a difference at that location.' It fueled the rumor in Ter Aar that the fire brigade only started extinguishing very late. "I understand it might look like we're late and doing nothing, but it's really part of our approach to do it that way. And actually the only way to make a difference', says Zuidijk.
Two fires
What made the fire special is that at one point the fire spread to a building that was not connected to the building where the fire broke out. So there were two separate fires. 'From that moment on, the task became even more complicated for us. We had to distribute the scarce units. Fire trucks from the entire fire service region and also from Haaglanden came to our aid', says Zuidijk. At the peak, there were 24 fire fighting vehicles, four car ladders and three tankers. A large fire extinguishing vehicle from Rotterdam The Hague Airport was also deployed on Saturday morning. In addition to investigating the origin of the first fire at TN Plastics, the fire service will also investigate how the fire could spread to the second building. 'There are now two hypotheses. The flash fire from the first fire that hit the roof, or the heat that was in the flue gas column that passed over it.'
Zuidijk indicates that throughout the night there was a good chance that the fire would spread even further to other companies. The fire signal was not given until around 6:30 am. All Saturday there has been extinguished and that continues until this moment. 'That is very hard work, especially with today's temperatures. That is exhausting,' says the commander. "And I expect that we will have to return a number of times tomorrow because there are fires that flare up again, which need the fire brigade to come out." Fred van Hameren's timber business also caught fire. He is busy cleaning up on Saturday and thinks that his company has suffered 10 million euros in damage, NOS reports . At Marco van der Pijl's beef wholesaler, the damage seems to be not too bad. 'We do have some soot damage, but the trucks are still starting.' He was also able to remove a few trucks during the fire.
Mayor Robbert-Jan van Duijn of the municipality of Nieuwkoop, which includes Ter Aar, held a number of meetings with affected entrepreneurs on Saturday afternoon. "You actually imagine yourself in a kind of war zone," he says of the destruction. 'I had tears in my eyes again this morning when I saw what it looks like in daylight. But especially when I saw the entrepreneurs who were affected. They literally watched their life's work burn away before their very eyes. That gives such a powerless feeling.' The municipality is looking at how the companies can be helped. Residents and entrepreneurs with questions can go to a special page of the municipality.
Soot particles and broken glass scattered
During the fire, many soot particles and shards of glass from solar panels were dragged along with the smoke and are now lying in various meadows in the area. The owners of these plots are themselves responsible for clearing up the soot particles and shards of glass.
"It is important that the solar panel particles are cleaned up, because they can pose a danger to the crops," the fire brigade reports. Visible soot particles and debris can be removed with gloves or washed off with warm soapy water.
Debris also ended up in the pasture of Wilma Rotteveel from Rijpwetering, ten kilometers from the fire as the crow flies. 'We were sitting in the garden last night and then we saw everything coming down,' she says. Saturday morning she went to work to clean her piece of land. 'There are two horses, so we decided to be on the safe side. I've got half a bucket full.' According to Wilma, there is mainly insulation material between the debris that ended up with her. 'But also some pieces of solar panels and they are sharp. That's not good for the horses.'
'Everyone is ready for each other'
Mayor Van Duijn is impressed by the help everyone offers each other. 'Everyone is there for each other and is busy helping each other, including the entrepreneurs who escaped without damage. That characterizes our community.' And he praises the emergency services: 'Without their hard work, the entire industrial estate would probably have gone up in flames.' Van Duijn also has something to say about the intervention of the police on Friday evening. Bystanders tried to get close to the blaze, forcing police to use batons to keep them away. Whether it was actually hit, the mayor does not know, he says at the press conference. But: 'It is very sad that this is necessary and that it has to come to this. If you are asked to leave and to give space to the emergency services, you just have to listen.' Fire chief Hans Zuidijk indicates that the influx of people initially hindered the fire brigade in arriving at the scene. "But as far as we're concerned, that hasn't led to a different outcome than what we're seeing now."
Security on site
The electricity and gas on the business park have been shut off. The municipality of Nieuwkoop says that it is not yet known when this will be connected again. Because company alarm systems are not working, there is security on the site from Saturday 5 p.m. to Sunday morning. 'After that, fences will be placed around the area. This applies in any case to Harsweg, Hertog van Beijerenstraat and Houtweg," the municipality reports.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4726311/zon-20-bedrijven-beschadigd-door-brand-in-ter-aar-komende-week-onderzoek-naar-oorzaak (where you als find images of the fire)
Communication system emergency services was out for hours last night
The C2000 system that allows the emergency services to talk to each other and the control room was down for several hours last night. Trade unions are furious, also because the backup system would not have functioned fully. The outage lasted from midnight to about 3 a.m., reports a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice and Security, which is ultimately responsible for the system. It was a network problem, as a result of which the control rooms could no longer communicate with the equipment of the emergency services on site. Switchboard operators in the control rooms therefore switched to mobile radios and walkie-talkies. As far as is known, there have been no incidents due to the malfunction, says the spokesperson. But further research is being done on this.
Union criticism
Police union ACP calls C2000 a life-threatening system. "It's unprecedented," says a spokesman . In March, the four police unions filed a joint complaint with the Labor Inspectorate about the system, because it has not been functioning properly for years .
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2478748-communicatiesysteem-hulpdiensten-lag-er-vannacht-urenlang-uit
Philips failed to report apnea patient death
Philips has failed to investigate the death of a Dutch patient who used an apnea device from the company. With this, Philips violated European legislation for medical devices. NRC investigated the course of events surrounding a report from the sons of a 65-year-old teacher from Oosterbeek to the Philips management. The sons wrote in a letter how their father died of the rare lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. They expressly link the death to his years of use of the Dreamstation. That is one of the devices that Philips recalled in 2021, because its use can lead to serious or even life-threatening injuries.
No notification received
Philips should have forwarded the report to the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ). In addition, the company should have launched an investigation itself, which is supervised by the IGJ. Such an investigation should include details of the device used by the deceased and how he used it. A spokesperson for the inspection says that the IGJ "has not received any reports of a death with the Philips Dreamstation". Without information from Philips, the Inspectorate cannot check whether the company is properly investigating the death, as required by law. The Inspectorate will now investigate the matter further. "If necessary, we will take further steps."
Apologies
A Philips spokesperson says that "the process has not been followed properly and we apologize for that". The company has invited the next of kin for an interview. "We're eager to try to provide the answers they're looking for." The IGJ has so far known one case of death, of a patient who was connected to a Philips ventilator in a healthcare institution. Investigation by Philips showed that the device was "functioning normally" and "was not the cause of death".
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2479983-philips-verzuimde-dood-apneu-patient-te-onderzoeken
When the outage started, there was also a concert at the Ziggo whose attendees could not go home after the concert and had to sleep on available sleeping spots. You can read more about what consequences this has had in the articles below. For images click on url's at the end of each article.
No train traffic around Amsterdam still due to malfunction, ProRail opens backup in Utrecht
Also this morning no trains are running around Amsterdam and Schiphol due to a persistent IT failure at ProRail traffic control in Amsterdam. The problem also leads to cancellations and delays on other routes, NS reports. Travelers are advised to arrange alternative transport or to work from home. It is still unclear how long the outage will last. If all goes well, train traffic can be resumed step by step from 9 a.m. "But it is a very complex ICT malfunction," says ProRail chairman of the board John Voppen.
'Never happened before'
The cause of the problem with the traffic control center in Amsterdam has not yet been identified. That is why it was decided last night to divert to Utrecht. The hope is that from this backup location, with other computers, the system will work stable again. Voppen: "As far as I know, this has never happened before in the eighteen years that I have been working for ProRail."
The problem with air traffic control in Amsterdam arose yesterday afternoon around 5 p.m. Train traffic was resumed at the beginning of the evening, but the disruption soon arose again. An unknown number of people were forced to spend the night at a station or a reception location.
Sleep in foil blankets
Photos and videos of train passengers wrapped in aluminum foil blankets are circulating on social media. "My delay is now around the clock," someone writes on Twitter. "I'm on a train, which has been standing still for 3 hours, but it is nice and warm."
Other travelers call it "unbelievable" that buses are not used to replace trains. According to an NS spokesman, this is not feasible. "With such large passenger numbers, it is impossible to drive in buses."
Other departure times
Since many train routes also run through the capital or end there, there is also a lot of disruption in the rest of the country. Think of alternative departure times, delays or train cancellations. The NS travel planner contains the most up-to-date information. The ProRail spokesperson emphasizes that "many trains are running". Except around the capital, there was no train traffic around Utrecht last night. Trains were running there again this morning. According to the security region, about a hundred stranded travelers have been accommodated in the Jaarbeurs. Stretchers have been set up there and food and drinks have been provided.
'Regret overnight stays at the station'
"ProRail and NS regret that we were unable to bring many travelers home last night and that they had to spend the night at the station," NS writes in a statement. "This is not what travelers should expect from us." Partly because of a concert by pop star Harry Styles in the Johan Cruijff Arena, many train travelers were on their feet in Amsterdam. There was also a concert in AFAS Live last night. In total there were about 55,000 concert visitors in the Arena area.
Visitors to the Harry Styles concert are stranded at Bijlmer Arena station
Visitors to the Harry Styles concert in the Johan Cruijff Arena who could not come home due to the train malfunction around Amsterdam have been taken care of in the Ziggo Dome. According to the ANP, about 500 people were still waiting at that location around 1 a.m. until they could go home. The shelter was intended for concertgoers who could not arrange transport or had to wait a long time for it.
The rail manager previously reported that all screens at the traffic control post at Amsterdam Central had failed and that resetting did not help. Due to the problems, traffic control was unable to monitor train traffic. Telephone contact with drivers was still there, but train traffic could not be handled with this. ProRail says it is working "with all its might" on a solution.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2477766-treinverkeer-rond-amsterdam-nog-plat-door-storing-prorail-opent-back-up-in-utrecht
See also resources below: You have translate these into Englisch
https://www.prorail.nl/nieuws/storing-treinverkeer-van-en-naar-amsterdam
https://nos.nl/artikel/2477720-ns-herstart-treinverkeer-na-storing-bij-amsterdam-hele-avond-nog-problemen
https://nos.nl/artikel/2477821-urenlange-treinstoring-hakt-erin-bij-reizigers-het-was-koud
https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6266708/prorail-wist-het-niet-meer-dus-trok-voor-het-eerst-een-noodplan-uit-de-kast.html
https://www.nu.nl/binnenland/6266590/harry-styles-fans-slapen-door-storing-in-ziggo-dome-rode-kruis-helpt-in-utrecht.html
https://www.rtvutrecht.nl/nieuws/3590801/eerste-claims-na-storing-treinverkeer-binnen-ns-verwacht-er-nog-veel-meer
Problems at ING over, customers angry because of yet another malfunction in a short time
ING was again hit by a malfunction on Friday afternoon. Customers of the bank were not allowed access to the app and internet banking. As a result, they could not access their bank account and therefore could not transfer money. The bank reports to NU.nl just before 5 p.m. that the problems have been resolved. Customers of the bank were notified in the app that logging in was not possible. They were advised to try again later. Customers could read on the website that internet banking was temporarily unavailable.
There were complaints on social media about the outage. Customers were particularly dissatisfied with the large number of malfunctions at ING recently. Tens of thousands of reports were received on Allestoringen after 1 p.m. "Customers are currently unable to log in via the app and online banking," an ING spokesperson told NU.nl shortly afterwards. "It is also not possible to pay with iDEAL. This applies to both private and business customers."
"Our services have become available again step by step," says a spokesperson just before 5 p.m. "We will of course continue to carefully monitor our online services." The spokesperson apologizes to the customers on behalf of the bank for the inconvenience.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/tech/6266270/problemen-ing-voorbij-klanten-boos-vanwege-zoveelste-storing-in-korte-tijd.html
Also in this month, a huge fire in an industrial area destroyed several businesses. More than 20 companies have suffered damage
About 20 companies damaged by fire in Ter Aar, investigation into cause next week
'20 to 22' companies suffered damage during the huge fire at the business park in Ter Aar. This is what fire chief Hans Zuidijk said at a press conference on Saturday afternoon. "That is different from being completely reduced to ashes," he added: it can also be smoke and water damage. Nothing is yet known about the cause of the fire, which started in the TN Plastics building and then spread to another building. That is still being researched. The fire service expects to start work on this in the course of next week.
'I've been working for the fire service for 39 years and I've never seen a fire of this size,' says Zuidijk. He sketches a timeline of the course of the fire. The first report of 'big black clouds of smoke' at the plastic company on Hertog van Beijerenstraat was made on Friday evening at 9:22 pm, nine minutes later the first fire truck was on site. 'They made an attempt to stop the fire to that part that was on fire at that time', says Zuidijk. “But they were faced with a very rapid fire spread and many explosions. That made it too unsafe to stay in the vicinity of the fire. So it has been decided to withdraw, first and foremost for their own safety.' Zuidijk explains what the first firefighters did then. 'At such a moment it makes no sense to throw water on the fire, but the fire brigade must find a place where it is likely that the fire can be stopped. Enough units have to be there to really make a difference at that location.' It fueled the rumor in Ter Aar that the fire brigade only started extinguishing very late. "I understand it might look like we're late and doing nothing, but it's really part of our approach to do it that way. And actually the only way to make a difference', says Zuidijk.
Two fires
What made the fire special is that at one point the fire spread to a building that was not connected to the building where the fire broke out. So there were two separate fires. 'From that moment on, the task became even more complicated for us. We had to distribute the scarce units. Fire trucks from the entire fire service region and also from Haaglanden came to our aid', says Zuidijk. At the peak, there were 24 fire fighting vehicles, four car ladders and three tankers. A large fire extinguishing vehicle from Rotterdam The Hague Airport was also deployed on Saturday morning. In addition to investigating the origin of the first fire at TN Plastics, the fire service will also investigate how the fire could spread to the second building. 'There are now two hypotheses. The flash fire from the first fire that hit the roof, or the heat that was in the flue gas column that passed over it.'
Zuidijk indicates that throughout the night there was a good chance that the fire would spread even further to other companies. The fire signal was not given until around 6:30 am. All Saturday there has been extinguished and that continues until this moment. 'That is very hard work, especially with today's temperatures. That is exhausting,' says the commander. "And I expect that we will have to return a number of times tomorrow because there are fires that flare up again, which need the fire brigade to come out." Fred van Hameren's timber business also caught fire. He is busy cleaning up on Saturday and thinks that his company has suffered 10 million euros in damage, NOS reports . At Marco van der Pijl's beef wholesaler, the damage seems to be not too bad. 'We do have some soot damage, but the trucks are still starting.' He was also able to remove a few trucks during the fire.
Mayor Robbert-Jan van Duijn of the municipality of Nieuwkoop, which includes Ter Aar, held a number of meetings with affected entrepreneurs on Saturday afternoon. "You actually imagine yourself in a kind of war zone," he says of the destruction. 'I had tears in my eyes again this morning when I saw what it looks like in daylight. But especially when I saw the entrepreneurs who were affected. They literally watched their life's work burn away before their very eyes. That gives such a powerless feeling.' The municipality is looking at how the companies can be helped. Residents and entrepreneurs with questions can go to a special page of the municipality.
Soot particles and broken glass scattered
During the fire, many soot particles and shards of glass from solar panels were dragged along with the smoke and are now lying in various meadows in the area. The owners of these plots are themselves responsible for clearing up the soot particles and shards of glass.
"It is important that the solar panel particles are cleaned up, because they can pose a danger to the crops," the fire brigade reports. Visible soot particles and debris can be removed with gloves or washed off with warm soapy water.
Debris also ended up in the pasture of Wilma Rotteveel from Rijpwetering, ten kilometers from the fire as the crow flies. 'We were sitting in the garden last night and then we saw everything coming down,' she says. Saturday morning she went to work to clean her piece of land. 'There are two horses, so we decided to be on the safe side. I've got half a bucket full.' According to Wilma, there is mainly insulation material between the debris that ended up with her. 'But also some pieces of solar panels and they are sharp. That's not good for the horses.'
'Everyone is ready for each other'
Mayor Van Duijn is impressed by the help everyone offers each other. 'Everyone is there for each other and is busy helping each other, including the entrepreneurs who escaped without damage. That characterizes our community.' And he praises the emergency services: 'Without their hard work, the entire industrial estate would probably have gone up in flames.' Van Duijn also has something to say about the intervention of the police on Friday evening. Bystanders tried to get close to the blaze, forcing police to use batons to keep them away. Whether it was actually hit, the mayor does not know, he says at the press conference. But: 'It is very sad that this is necessary and that it has to come to this. If you are asked to leave and to give space to the emergency services, you just have to listen.' Fire chief Hans Zuidijk indicates that the influx of people initially hindered the fire brigade in arriving at the scene. "But as far as we're concerned, that hasn't led to a different outcome than what we're seeing now."
Security on site
The electricity and gas on the business park have been shut off. The municipality of Nieuwkoop says that it is not yet known when this will be connected again. Because company alarm systems are not working, there is security on the site from Saturday 5 p.m. to Sunday morning. 'After that, fences will be placed around the area. This applies in any case to Harsweg, Hertog van Beijerenstraat and Houtweg," the municipality reports.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4726311/zon-20-bedrijven-beschadigd-door-brand-in-ter-aar-komende-week-onderzoek-naar-oorzaak (where you als find images of the fire)
Communication system emergency services was out for hours last night
The C2000 system that allows the emergency services to talk to each other and the control room was down for several hours last night. Trade unions are furious, also because the backup system would not have functioned fully. The outage lasted from midnight to about 3 a.m., reports a spokesman for the Ministry of Justice and Security, which is ultimately responsible for the system. It was a network problem, as a result of which the control rooms could no longer communicate with the equipment of the emergency services on site. Switchboard operators in the control rooms therefore switched to mobile radios and walkie-talkies. As far as is known, there have been no incidents due to the malfunction, says the spokesperson. But further research is being done on this.
Union criticism
Police union ACP calls C2000 a life-threatening system. "It's unprecedented," says a spokesman . In March, the four police unions filed a joint complaint with the Labor Inspectorate about the system, because it has not been functioning properly for years .
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2478748-communicatiesysteem-hulpdiensten-lag-er-vannacht-urenlang-uit
Philips failed to report apnea patient death
Philips has failed to investigate the death of a Dutch patient who used an apnea device from the company. With this, Philips violated European legislation for medical devices. NRC investigated the course of events surrounding a report from the sons of a 65-year-old teacher from Oosterbeek to the Philips management. The sons wrote in a letter how their father died of the rare lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. They expressly link the death to his years of use of the Dreamstation. That is one of the devices that Philips recalled in 2021, because its use can lead to serious or even life-threatening injuries.
No notification received
Philips should have forwarded the report to the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ). In addition, the company should have launched an investigation itself, which is supervised by the IGJ. Such an investigation should include details of the device used by the deceased and how he used it. A spokesperson for the inspection says that the IGJ "has not received any reports of a death with the Philips Dreamstation". Without information from Philips, the Inspectorate cannot check whether the company is properly investigating the death, as required by law. The Inspectorate will now investigate the matter further. "If necessary, we will take further steps."
Apologies
A Philips spokesperson says that "the process has not been followed properly and we apologize for that". The company has invited the next of kin for an interview. "We're eager to try to provide the answers they're looking for." The IGJ has so far known one case of death, of a patient who was connected to a Philips ventilator in a healthcare institution. Investigation by Philips showed that the device was "functioning normally" and "was not the cause of death".
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2479983-philips-verzuimde-dood-apneu-patient-te-onderzoeken
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate