One year ago, we had freezing weather and 50cm snow. Now it feels like spring. Not sure if this is bad, indifferent, or good news. Good news is certainly that further reductions of Corona-related restrictions will be officially announced in a press conference this evening. Expectations are that almost all restrictions will be lifted as of Friday next week.  In this update we cover the following news from the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Court case related to innovative corona-test. What will be the consequences for the company?
• Good and bad news for Bergman Clinics. Do the insurance companies and the competition board have a different view of the market?
• Costs of treating dementia patients have increased. How can these costs be controlled?
• Bankruptcy for provider of long-term mental care. What are the consequences for the rest of the group?

After a number of weeks in lockdown, it was last week announced that restaurants and cafes can open again (until 2200), theaters and museums can open again, and that the public is again welcome at sports events. Number of infections is high and rising, but this is not expected to have major negative consequences for the healthcare system. Let us hope that the positive developments continue.

January has been a busy month in the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Another Dutch healthcare company sold to private equity. Who will be next?
• Mentaal Beter acquisition gets green light from anti-competition authorities. What will be the impact on the commercial mental healthcare sector?
• Ontzorgd Wonen saga finishes. Will we hear more from the previous owners?
• Commercial mental healthcare provider takes over psychiatric department of regional hospital. Is this a new trend?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of MoleMann Mental Health, a provider of ambulant mental healthcare services

I hope that you have enjoyed the first two weeks of 2022 and that the year will only get better as it progresses. Recent news from the Dutch healthcare sector includes:

• Investment in healthcare related real estate again above €1 billion. Will trend continue?
• New entrant in healthcare real estate investing buys large portfolio. Will other new investors follow?
• Medux acquires company in the UK. Will further European expansion follow?
• Traditional Dutch mental healthcare providers issues bonds. Will the role of traditional banks in financing healthcare operators continue to decline?

Best wishes for 2022. Let us hope that it will be a year in which we learn how to deal / live with COVID19, and that pleasant things such as eating out in restaurants and travelling again become possible. After a quiet period at the end of last year there has recently been a fair amount of healthcare related news here in the Netherlands:

• The Netherlands now has a new government with interesting candidates for healthcare related ministers. What will be the consequences for the sector?
• The Dutch anti-competition watchdog has recently stopped two healthcare-related acquisitions. Is this a new trend?
• Mentaal Beter to acquire HSK. What does this mean for the commercial mental healthcare market?

I hope that you are doing well. Here in the Netherlands Sinterklaas has been celebrated and now all the shops are focused on Christmas. In the healthcare sector most of the attention has been focused on the new omicron variant and capacity issues related to COVID19. Other healthcare related news from the Netherlands includes:

• Onzorgd Wonen Groep is bankrupt. Are there more commercial nursing home providers at risk?
• DC Klinieken acquires small chain. Will there be more consolidation in the specialty clinic market?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of De Vijf Meren Kliniek, a chain of specialty clinics focusing on EMT

I hope that you are doing well. As in other countries the Netherlands is again tightening COVID19-related restrictions such as requiring masks in shops, reduced opening hours for bars and restaurants and asking people to work from home. The new rules have been put in place for the next three weeks with the goal of reducing the level of infections. This will hopefully reduce the number of corona-patients taking up space in intensive care departments thereby increasing the ability of hospitals to carry out other (plannable) operations. Let us hope that these interventions work. Other healthcare related news from the Netherlands includes:

• Report  highlights how senior executives in the Dutch healthcare sector expect to lose market share but stay financially viable. What does this entail for innovative commercial companies?
• Financing of light homecare to be revised due to increasing costs. What will be the consequences for homecare companies?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of Clinium, a provider of sterilization services for hospitals

Autumn has definitely come to the Netherlands with a mixture of gray and rainy days and days where we can enjoy the incredible fall colors. Not my favorite time of the year, but it has its charms. In this update on the Dutch healthcare sector, we cover:

• Insurance companies do not want to transfer catch-up activities to commercial clinics. What will be the effect on waiting times for non-critical operations?
• Another acquisition by Bergman Clinics. Are they moving into Equipe’s key market segment?
• Three rehab clinics to work closer together. First step to a merger?

Welcome back to another update on the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update a mixture of news and the key results of a recent study we have conducted on consolidation in the commercial nursing home sector:

• Mediq expands medical home care activities to Belgium. Will further international expansion follow?
• Insurance companies and Healthcare Authorities growing more positive to commercial specialized clinics. Are clinics becoming an accepted part of the Dutch healthcare ecosystem?
• Rapid growth and consolidation in the Dutch commercial nursing home sector in the last three years. Will the trend continue?

The days are getting shorter and shorter, and I have seen the first Christmas decorations (actually for Sinterklaas, celebrated by the Dutch on 5 December). It has been quiet in the Dutch healthcare sector lately, but there are always interesting studies to present to you.

In this update we cover:

• Dutch Healthtech startups have problems with scaling up. Is this an opportunity for international early investors?
• Commercial Dutch youth care providers  outperform traditional organizations. Is this an attractive sector for international investors?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of Arts en Zorg, a chain providing primary healthcare in twenty-one locations in the Netherlands

It is now noticeable that the days are getting shorter, but we are currently enjoying nice autumn  weather here in the Netherlands. I hope that you are also enjoying a nice transition from summer to fall.

News from the Dutch healthcare sector includes:

• Orpea in process of developing large-scale location near Amersfoort. Is this a change in strategy for the Dutch market?
• Private equity invests for the first time in Dutch homecare sector. Will others follow?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of Oranjeborg, a provider of long term care to complex clients

Even though it is now officially autumn we are finally getting some summer weather here in the Netherlands. I hope that you are also enjoying a nice transition from summer to fall.

It is still relatively quiet in the Dutch healthcare sector but there is still news to report:

• Process for deciding new government still ongoing. What can be expected for the healthcare sector?
• Less M&A activity in the Dutch healthcare sector. What are the key reasons for the decline?
• Dutch Healthcare Authority (NZA) positive to private equity investments. What is their thinking?

I am back from my holidays. First we had a week in Italy which was very beautiful but also incredibly hot and crowded. We therefore came back a week earlier than planned and went bicycling on the Hoge Vennbahn (can be highly recommended) and walking in the Netherlands. Different weather from Italy but also very nice.

The Dutch healthcare sector has not stood still during the summer months. In this update we cover:

• Canadian REIT invests in Dutch hospital real estate. Will more hospitals and investors follow this new trend?
• Traditional providers of nursing home care are not planning to develop sufficient new capacity to meet expected demand. Opportunity for commercial providers and real estate investors?
• Move towards VPT financing (where the client pays real estate costs directly) gain traction with traditional providers. What are advantages and disadvantages?
• Managing GP-chain more complex than expected, Quin to sell GP-practices. How will e-health solutions be sold?

I hope that you are in a place where the weather is treating you well (not too hot, no fires, not too much rain, etc.). Here in the Netherlands, we are having a very wet summer so far, but I am shortly off to sunny Italy.

In this update we cover:

• Acquisition of Equipe finalized. Who will be the next private equity target in the Dutch healthcare market?
• Bergman acquisition of Mauritskliniek faces opposition. What happens if the takeover is refused?
• Buurtzorg agrees multi-year contract with final healthcare insurance company. Will multi-year contracts become the norm?

I hope that you and your family are doing well. After a slow start, corona-vaccination here in the Netherlands has picked up speed. I will get my second shot next week and even my daughters (1995 and 1997)  now have appointments for their first shots. I hope that the situation is also positive in your country.

In this update we cover:

• Trend towards multi-year contracts continue. Is this good news for commercial providers of mental healthcare services?
• Thomashuis opens first location in Belgium. Will other countries follow?
• New law for registration of healthcare companies will be active as of 1 January 2022. What are the consequences?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of FYEO an ophthalmologist chain

After skipping spring, we now have wonderful summer weather here in the Netherlands. I hope that you are also enjoying nice weather.

In this update we cover:

• Hospitals report positive 2020 results. Good news, but are there dark clouds on the horizon?
• Government provides €1.3 billion extra financing for youth care. Will this be enough to make the sector more attractive?
• Government and key organizations agree to develop 160.000 new housing units for the elderly. How will this be carried out?