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

2025 is almost winding down and it is time to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I look forward to bringing you more news about the Dutch healthcare sector in 2026. Instead of giving a final update (it has been relatively slow on the news front regarding Dutch healthcare the last few weeks), I thought it would be useful to provide you an overview of the key themes that I have presented to you in 2025.

The following text (with some minor tweaks) is what Perplexity (my favorite AI-tool) had made of the nineteen updates you have received from me. I hope that you have found the individual updates of interest, and find the “key messages” in the following text an interesting update on the year as a whole.

2026 will be a new year of challenges and opportunities and I look forward to staying connected with you.

Welcome back to another update on the Dutch commercial healthcare market. The process related to agreeing a new coalition government has started and hopefully it will be finished by Christmas (2026). When there is any news to provide, we will certainly let you know. Luckily, there is other news related to the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Acibadem opens new clinic in Rotterdam. What is their history in the Dutch market?
• Novicare deal approved by ACM. What are the next steps?
• Dutch hospice care needs revamp. What is the situation?
• New financing system for ER care from 2027. What will it look like?

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

• Election results. What are the consequences for commercial healthcare in the Netherlands
• Growing demand for companies providing informal care. What are the reasons?
• Court ruling related to prohibition on dividend payments for specialized clinics. Will the rules against dividend payments be relaxed?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of CityKids, a provider specialized in providing medical care for children

Excuses for the long break since the last update. This is due to a combination of vacations (sailing in Turkey), a busy schedule, and a period of relatively little interesting news related to the Dutch healthcare sector. However, this is no longer the case and in this update we cover:

• Reduced spending on healthcare is likely outcome of upcoming elections. What is the story?
• Government report concludes that Dutch mental healthcare requires fundamental change. What are the options?
• Belgian private equity busy in the Dutch market. What are new investments?

I hope that you are doing well and enjoying the last days of summer and/or the first days of fall (depending on your local weather and your view of the world). Here in the Netherlands, the weather is flexible, one moment beautiful sun and the next moment pouring rain. Whatever the weather, there is always news concerning the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Private equity acquires innovative mental healthcare provider. What is the story?
• Overall strong financial results in the Dutch healthcare sector, but challenges remain. What is going on?
• Consolidation in EPD sector. What are the key reasons?
• Upcoming Dutch elections. What are possible consequences for commercial healthcare?

It is September, vacations are over, the schools are open, and people are back at work. At the moment of writing, the weather is still nice, but there is a feeling that autumn is right around the corner. It is still relatively slow on the healthcare news front, but, as always, there is still news to report. In this update we cover:

• Three new private equity driven deals announced. Is private equity back?
• Strong financial results for the mental healthcare sector in 2024 – what is behind the improvement?
• In a snapshot we give an overview of Dovida, a provider of homecare services