Last week I spent three days in Paris visiting the HBI conference. As always, a very good mixture of relevant content, an opportunity to meet old friends and to get to know more interesting people. It was also nice to interact with many of the readers of these updates, Due to the conference, the update has been delayed one week, which means that there is a fair amount of news to report:

• Bergman Clinic is making a new acquisition. Is the relationship with ACM and NZA improved?
• Co-payments for social care are to be increased. What will be the consequences for demand?
• Hospital staff get 8% higher salaries. How will hospitals finance this?
• The Ministry makes a choice for a country-wide data exchange system. What are the next steps?
• Report from Deloitte highlights reduction in healthcare related M&A activity. Will it pick up again?

Spring has arrived. As I am writing this, we are having consecutive beautiful days with sunshine and warmth. With spring, comes more news related to the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Report highlights that commercial nursing home operators provide high quality care. What are the main conclusions?
• Minister reiterates refusal to forbid private equity investments in the healthcare sector. What is the story?
• Bergman Clinics is making a new acquisition. Can Bergman continue growing in the Netherlands though acquisitions?
• Arts en Zorg grows its primary care activities. What will be the company’s next steps?
• Chipsoft is launching partner for Microsoft’s healthcare focused AI-platform. What will be the impact on Chipsoft’s market position?

We have actually had winter these last few weeks, with very cold nights and beautiful days with sunshine. A great change from the previous weeks, but the forecast is that it will change. As always, there is a lot of news to report regarding the Dutch healthcare sector:

• McKinsey report highlights the opportunities for productivity gains through digital transformation in the Dutch healthcare sector. What are the next steps?
• Intensified supervision for major healthcare insurance company. What are the key reasons?
• In a snapshot we give an overview of Flexdokters, a provider of modern primary care

The weather here in the Netherlands has been relentlessly cold and gray for the last few weeks. It is not really winter (at least from a Norwegian perspective), but there is no other alternative name for it either. It does appear that everybody has woken up after their two-week Christmas break, and there is a lot of news to report regarding the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Continued tightening of rules and regulations for the healthcare sector. What are the consequences for international investors?
• Healthcare insurance company to help GPs start new practices in areas with insufficient primary care coverage. What are their plans?
• Progress being made in implementing improvements to Dutch system for long-term work-related disabilities. What are the current plans?
• Municipalities reenter process to structurally improve Dutch healthcare. What has happened?
• Dutch competition authority increases focus on healthcare sector. What are ongoing focus areas?

January is almost at its end and those of us doing Dry January are looking forward to the first beer (IPA I think) in a month. As always there is news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector.

• Continuing consolidation of the physiotherapy sector. Who will be the next target?
• Many patients have long waits before getting an appointment with their GPs. Can this be improved?
• The Ministry has chosen three key suppliers of patient portal solutions. What will happen to the other providers?
• Overview of promising Dutch healthcare start-up - MyTomorrows, a company helping patients and physicians find and access clinical trials.

I hope that you have had a good start to the new year. Here in the Netherlands the country basically shut down for two weeks from 23 December to 6 January, but there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector.

• Investments in healthcare real estate increased from 2023 to 2024. What are ongoing challenges?
• JHB Zorg is allowed to acquire three home care companies. What are further plans?
• New three-year contract between healthcare insurance company and Equipe. What are the consequences for hospitals?
• Current financing structures make investments in technology for elderly care difficult. What are the key issues?

This will be the last update for 2024 as I will be off for a couple of weeks celebrating Christmas and New Year with family and friends. Best wishes to you and your family. The whole country seems to be slowing down in preparation for the holidays to come, but there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Costs for many healthcare providers will increase in January. What are the reasons?
• Major program to reform the Dutch healthcare sector is not going well. What are the problems?
• Overview of promising Dutch healthcare start-up: Kepler Vision Technologies, a developer of fall detection products for the elderly care sector

In a few days, the Dutch will be celebrating Sinterklaas. As you can guess from the name there is a link to Santa Claus (explained in this Wikipedia article). The Dutch celebration is before Christmas, but also involves exchange of gifts. In the last few years Sinterklaas has become politically sensitive due to his helpers who were traditionally portrayed in blackface. Even though the country is entering a festive mode, there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector. This update covers the following news items:

• Large real estate investment in senior living concept. What are the details?
• New competitor to ZorgDomein. What are the chances that they will be successful?
• Disabled care providers forced to postpone investments. What are the reasons?

Winter is coming! It is cold and grey outside, and the central heating is working hard. Welcome back to another update on the Dutch healthcare market. This update covers the following news items:

• Physiotherapists want minimum tariffs. How are tariffs currently set?
• Comparison of the Dutch elderly care market to other countries. What can the Netherlands do differently?
• In a snapshot we give an overview of CumuluZ, an organization focusing on improved data connectivity between Dutch healthcare providers

Welcome back to another update on the Dutch healthcare market. This update covers the following news items:

• Actief Zorg has been sold. Who is the purchaser?
• HBI list of largest European healthcare companies. What is the Dutch presence?
• Zorgdomein is celebrating its 25^th What is the role of the company in the Dutch healthcare sector?
• In a snapshot we give an overview of HartKliniek, a chain of clinics specializing in coronary issues

This update covers the following news items:

• Continuing financial problems in the youth care. What are the consequences for the commercial providers of youth care?
• Parliament vs healthcare insurance companies. What will happen to smaller regional hospitals?
• In a snapshot we give an overview of Performation, a company providing IT solutions to hospitals

Here in the Netherlands, autumn has arrived in full force. It is raining cats & dogs, temperatures are falling and it is almost time to start up the central heating again. But, as always, there is news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector. This update covers the following news items:

• Co-Med sold. Who is the buyer?
• Pension company for healthcare staff to invest in innovative healthcare. What are the plans?
• Hospitals face capacity problems due to revenue ceilings at elderly care operators. What is happening?
• Update on Ksyos – the digital hospital

Welcome back to another update on the Dutch healthcare sector. Everybody is now back from their holidays and reports are being published, political discussions are being held, and decisions are being made. In other words, there is enough news to report. This update covers the following news items:

• Hot off the press – What are the new government’s plans for the healthcare sector?
• Insufficient investment in the elderly care sector. What can be done?
• Discussions related to private equity investments in healthcare continue. What is the risk for investors?
• Regional hospital reports massive loss for 2023. Are the problems structural?

I am back from three weeks in Cambodia and Thailand, and have had a wonderful time. We started out by visiting Angkor Wat, and then took a boat to Battangbam (highly recommended). In Thailand we split our time between Koh Chang, Bangkok, and Hua Hin. I am already missing the scenery, the fantastic food, nice people, and wonderful massages. Here in the Netherlands there is a fair amount of news to report from the healthcare sector. This update covers the following news items:

• Private equity owned companies have €1.5 billion in healthcare-related revenues. Where does this come from?
• The new Minister of Health will not forbid PE-investments in healthcare companies. What does this mean for further investments?
• The Netherlands is facing a shortage of dentists. Where will new dentists come from?
• Receiver expects to sell Co-Med “within weeks”. Who are the likely buyers?

For anybody that missed my update two weeks ago – excuses. It is summer, there has not been a lot of news and I have been busy with other things. This will also be the last update before my own summer vacation. Next week we are off for three weeks in Cambodia and Thailand. I have not been to Asia since 2017 and am very much looking forward to it. Even if it is quiet, there is still news to report. This update covers the following news items:

• Specific financing of complex homecare for the elderly announced. What will this mean for the elderly care sector?
• Improved financial results for the mental healthcare sector in 2023. Is profitability sufficiently high?
• Consolidation in the orthopedics sector. Will it continue?
• Primary care sector. What is happening after Co-Med?