My excuses for the long delay since the previous update in September. This is due to a combination of  relatively few news-worthy stories and that I have been spending much times on helping my colleagues prepare for the January 2027 launch of Here Now Health (See here for the website (in Dutch)). Luckily, there are things happening in the Dutch healthcare market and in this update we cover news about nursing home capacity and three examples of M&A related activities:

• Major healthcare insurance company to reduce contracting for nursing home capacity by 5%. What are likely consequences for commercial operators?
• Mentaal Beter continues growth through acquisitions. Who will be next?
• Movement in healthcare IT with more acquisitions. What does this mean for the sector?
• Investments in Dutch startup focusing on healthcare checks. What is the concept?

September is ending. The memories of the (very) hot summer are fading and we are now all hoping for a beautiful Indian Summer. Luckily, there is also a lot of activity in the Dutch healthcare sector, and in this update we cover:

• Equipe continues expansion through acquisitions. Who has been acquired this time?
• Healthcare budget for coming years presented by government. What are the big changes?
• Guarantee fund reports growing pipeline of investments. Why the contrast with earlier reports?
• The market for providing specialists to long-term providers is changing. What is happening?

It is the second week of September, and life is slowly returning to “normal” after weeks of holidays, warm summer days, and kids off from school. Clearly people in the healthcare sector are also back to work, and there is news to report from the Dutch market. In this update we cover:

• Different views on overcapacity in nursing homes. What is the story?
• EY report highlights lower earnings and insufficient investments. Can the structural problems of the Dutch healthcare sector be solved?
• Small physiotherapy providers have improved their financial situation. What does this mean for consolidation of the sector?

Back from a wonderful vacation in France with one week in Normandy and one week in Burgundy (including a very expensive day in Chablis). I assume that most of you are now starting “normal” life again, and hope that you have all had a wonderful summer.  The summer has also been fairly quiet in the Dutch healthcare sector, but there is still news to be reported. In this update we cover:

• Large, specialized clinics chains continue to grow. What are further targets?
• Lawyers raise fundamental issues regarding Healthcare Minister’s plan to limit dividend payments. What is the story?
• Acibadem opens new location in Rotterdam. Are they a hospital or a specialized clinic?

I assume that many of you are on vacation, and I will be on vacation myself the first two weeks of August. However, news from the Dutch healthcare sector does not stop. In this update we cover:

• Breaking news – Implementation of new financing form for complex elderly care delayed until 2029
• Reduced investments in Dutch healthcare real estate. What are the key reasons?
• Private equity acquires commercial nursing home providers. What is the situation?
• Regulatory bodies to receive more power to stop smaller healthcare acquisitions. What will this mean for “buy and build” strategies?

Another heat wave expected this week, but again this has not stopped the appearance of news related to the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Physiotherapy court case rejected by judge. What are possible next steps?
• Government considering maximizing dividend payments of healthcare suppliers. Is this likely to happen?
• Most nursing home providers make losses on operations. How is this possible?
• Government takes big steps in financing senior living. What is the situation?

As in most of Europe, summer has arrived with a vengeance. A key activity in the last few weeks has been to keep cool and stay out of the sun. This has not stopped the appearance of news related to the Dutch healthcare sector. Unfortunately, most of this news might be seen as negative for the respective sub-sectors. In this update we cover:

• Objections from dental sector regarding lowered 2026 tariffs rejected. What are possible consequences?
• Salary costs in elderly care sector to increase in the coming two years. What will this mean for profitability of nursing homes?
• Physiotherapy sector goes to court to force healthcare insurance companies to increase tariffs. What is the background?

Welcome back to another update on the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Increasing vacancy rates in nursing homes. Are new investments in nursing homes required?
• Delivery of healthcare services without a contract to be stopped. How will this work?
• Hospitals are not investing sufficiently. Why is this a problem?
• Large cost reductions are possible in complex home care for the elderly. How is this possible?

After a period of beautiful early spring weather, the last few weeks have been cold and wet. The last few weeks have also all had a lot of public holidays, and it appears that not much has been going on in the Dutch healthcare sector. However, there is still news to report and in this update we cover:

• Update on Chipsoft hack? What happened and what are possible consequences
• Hospitals plan to increase competition with specialized clinics. What is the situation?
• Which elderly care clients are using alternative financing (VPT)? What are possible consequences
• Key trends in complex elderly care. Where are the clients receiving care?

Spring is in the air, and I am just back from a great weekend in Lyon and the Rhone Valley with friends from university. Now it is back to work and checking out what is news in the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Private equity winning terrain in the Dutch healthcare market. What is happening?
• New laws and rules are coming into effect. What are the main consequences for commercial providers?
• Length of stay in nursing homes has decreased. What are consequences for capacity utilization?

It was great meeting many of you a few weeks back at the HBI conference in Paris. It was a wonderful start to the conference to meet old friends and make new friends while sipping champagne and enjoying the view of the Eifel Tower. After that, a week vacation in Berlin was also great, but now I am back to the nitty-gritty of the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Growing demand for small scale elderly care, but growth in supply is slowing. What is the issue?
• Chipsoft hacked. What are the consequences for Dutch hospitals?
• Phitaal acquired by Mentaal Beter. Who are they?
• Commercial specialized clinics. What are the facts?
• More unwelcome news for physiotherapists. What is happening with the financing of physiotherapy care?

At the time of writing we are enjoying an early spring here in the Netherlands. Day-time temperatures are high (ten degrees centigrade higher than the average for the time of year), and terraces are full of people enjoying the sunshine and a glass of beer or wine. Other parts of Europe are seeing rain and cold, and March can be fickle so we will see what happens. In any case, there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• FYEO sold to EuroEyes. What is the background to the deal?
• Chipsoft is as profitable as ever. Will it ever lose its almost-monopoly on hospital EPD systems?
• Bergman Clinics signs new multi-year contract. What are implications for the position of commercial specialized clinics in the Dutch market?
• Mental healthcare provider enters receivership. What went wrong?
• More than half of independent physiotherapists want to sell. What are consequences for consolidation?

At the time of writing the southern part of The Netherlands is celebrating Carnival. This part of the country has strong Catholic traditions, of which Carnival is a core part. People from other parts of the country travel to experience the carnival parties, but are definitely seen as being “tourists”. Carnival or no carnival, there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Physiotherapy sector will not get minimum tariffs. What are the reasons?
• Buurtzorg reports losses on long-term care. What has happened?
• In a snapshot we give an overview of CLB, a company developing and producing home aids enabling the elderly to live longer at home

Time flies but winter stays. At the time of writing we are again having snowfall and a white world outside. Not too cold and beautiful. As always, there is news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• The Netherlands has a new government. What are the plans for the health sector?
• Healthtech startup acquired by Swedish company. More European acquisitions to come?
• Absenteeism in Dutch healthcare sector is increasing. What can be done?
• Value of real estate in healthcare sector has fallen sharply. What are the reasons?

I hope that you have had a wonderful break and a great start to the new year. Welcome back to first update of 2026. Before Christmas it was quiet on the news front, but it seems that the new year has brought many activities up to speed again. In this update we cover:

• Consolidation of laboratories continues. What will be the end game?
• Large acquisition in the physiotherapy sector. Who will be next?
• Ministry provides overview of alternatives for prohibition on dividend payments. What does this mean for commercial healthcare providers?
• In a new snapshot we give an updated overview of Arts en Zorg, a successful provider of commercial primary care services