I hope that you are doing well. As I am writing this, we are having our share of April showers and are getting ready for “King’s Day” on Thursday. “King’s Day” is officially a celebration of the King’s birthday but is actually an opportunity for the Dutch to put on every bit of orange clothing they have and turn the whole country into one giant garage sale. As always there is news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Actief Zorg seeks bankruptcy protection. Consequence of too many acquisitions?
• Golden times for temporary staffing companies in the healthcare sector. Will this continue?
• Primary care chains – status and future
• In a new snapshot we give an overview of Attenza, a provider of palliative homecare

I hope that you have enjoyed a nice Easter break and have had reasonable weather. Here in the Netherlands, one of the “attractions” of spring is that we get four seasons in one day. Relatively quiet on the healthcare front in combination with Easter, but as always, there is always news to report:

• Judge reverses ACM decision on Mediq’s acquisition of Eurocept Homecare. Will they try again?
• The Minister of Healthcare announces measures to improve healthcare IT. Will his ideas work?
• Overview of promising Dutch healthcare start-up: Screenpoint Medical, a specialist in breast imaging and machine learning

I am a realistic optimist. Spring will certainly come again, so I decided to make limoncello in the weekend. It will take four weeks to get ready, so luckily, spring still has some time to get itself organized. In this update we cover:

• A victory for fringe political party in senate elections. What will be the consequences for the Dutch healthcare sector?
• Youth care providers in financial problems. What is needed from the government?
• Elderly care provider refuses to build more capacity. Realism or exaggerated caution?
• Overview of promising Dutch healthcare start-up: Castor, a developer of more efficient data collection processes for clinical trials

A few weeks back it seemed like spring was in the air, and I have even seen ducklings in the park. Now winter is back with cold weather and snow, hopefully for the last time before spring really comes out of hiding. In this update we cover:

• High level of M&A activity in the Dutch market in 2022, but focus is on pharma and MedTech. When will consolidation take place in the elderly care sector?
• Dutch data analytics company acquired by American private equity investor. Who will be next?
• IZA program is not making initial deadlines. Will it be possible to keep it on track?
• Overview of promising Dutch healthcare start-up: Pacmed, a developer of AI decision support systems for hospitals

Welcome back to another update on the Dutch healthcare sector. Here in the Netherlands we have had a typical February with winter refusing to let go but with some days that are beautiful and smell of spring. In this update we cover:

• Capacity for rehab-care reduced as supplier stops. Will tariffs be increased?
• Actief Zorg continues buying spree. Will it sell part of a recent acquisition?
• Philips stops activities in e-health solutions. Can multinationals be successful in this space?
• Overview of promising Dutch healthcare start-up: Ksyos, a “digital hospital”

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

• Tariffs for mental healthcare services to be increased in 2026. Is this soon enough?
• Major disabled care provider in financial problems (still). Are the issues temporary or are they structural?
• Government organizations to investigate threats and benefits of commercial providers of primary care. What will happen to innovation in the sector?
• Overview of promising Dutch healthcare start-ups : Thirona, a developer of AI-assisted pulmonary care

As I am writing this there a (very) thin layer of snow on the ground and the temperature is low. Maybe we will still have some winter in the Netherlands. As always, there is news from the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Record investments in healthcare real estate in 2022. Will there be further growth in 2023?
• Planned growth in elderly capacity not in line with (ambitious) targets. How will the shortfall be met?
• Healthcare companies pessimistic abut expected 2022 financial results. What will 2023 look like?

I hope that you have had a nice break for Christmas and New Year, and a good start to 2023. As expected, here in the Netherlands New Years Eve was wet and windy. As always, there is news from the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Commercial provider of primary care in trouble. What will happen to the sector?
• Move towards multi-year contracts for long-term care providers. Which problems will this solve?
• Rehab sector in financial problems (still). Will the government and healthcare insurance companies step in?
• Disabled care sector has come through the corona years with limited damage. What are the new challenges facing the sector?

As I am writing this, we are having freezing weather here in the Netherlands and there is even some snow on the ground. Unfortunately, it is unlikely that it will remain until Christmas. Everybody seems to be busy setting up Christmas trees and buying gifts so work-related activities are starting to slow down. However, there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Waiting lists for clients requiring nursing home care have doubled in 2022. How does this fit with government plans not to finance additional nursing home capacity?
• It is that time of the year again. Why does the Dutch system lead to waiting lists at the end of each year?
• Hospital merger to take finally take place. Is a hospital still a hospital if all complex care is removed?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of a niche in the Dutch dental care market

I hope that you are well and getting used to the darker and colder days of winter. In this update on the Dutch healthcare sector we cover:

• New payment model for psychiatric care leads to problems for the large, traditional operators. What about the commercial operators?
• Housing associations prepared to play a role in developing senior living but await actions from other organizations. How can impasse be broken?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of Viroclinics DDL, a Dutch diagnostics company

Here in the Netherlands the weather is a strange mixture of beautiful sunny days and days with non-stop rain and wind. However, temperatures are high and gas consumption is low. In this update we cover:

• Bergman Clinics signs another multi-year contract with an insurance company. Is this yet another sign of specialized clinics becoming an integral part of the Dutch healthcare sector?
• Clients for light homecare will pay an own contribution based on income. Is this a first step in limiting use of these services?
• Director of the NZA (Dutch Healthcare Authorities) claims that the sector needs total overhaul to meet ongoing challenges. Is her thinking in line with that of the government?

Here in the Netherlands the weather is still quite pleasant and gas usage is low. Let us hope that this continues and eases any issues we will face due to the limitations placed on gas imports from Russia. In this update we cover:

• Study highlights that specialized clinics have a positive effect on the Dutch healthcare sector. Will this help improve the overall situation of the commercial specialist clinics in the overall Dutch healthcare system?
• Bleak financial future for traditional Dutch elderly care operators. Will the government help?
• Senior living locations can help reduce the pressure on healthcare staffing. What can the government do to increase the roll-out speed of new locations?

I am just back from a great vacation in Greece with a fantastic combination of walking in the mountains, meeting old friends and being lazy on a beach. In the meantime, the Dutch healthcare sector has not stood still. In this update we cover:

• Buurtzorg expands into nursing homes. Will this be as successful as their homecare activities?
• Government announces sixty opportunities for reducing healthcare costs. Can they be implemented?
• A recent report highlights the Dutch healthcare real estate market as very attractive. What does this mean for potential new entrants?

The first signs of autumn are appearing. The days are getting shorter and there is a certain crispness to the air. As much as I enjoy summer (when it is not too hot) I also quite like the changing seasons. I hope that you are also enjoying the new season.

There are many things happening in the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Issues in the homecare sector. How does this fit with the Government’s plans to restructure healthcare?
• 2021 was a good financial year for the healthcare sector. Will this continue?
• Planned restructuring of Dutch healthcare sector meets resistance. What will be the next steps?

From the automatic replies I see that many of you were still on vacation when I sent out my previous update. I assume that now schools have started and that most of you will be back in the office and ready for new challenges. Here in the Netherlands most people are now back from holidays and there is news from the healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Another hospitals with financial problems. Will this be a repeat of the hospital bankruptcies of 2018?
• Sanquin sells another subsidiary. What will be next piece of family silver to be sold?
• Personal budgets can still be used for the provision of live-in care. Why is this important?
• Technology update – Old technologies refuse to die