Some of you are probably already on vacation, but some of us have to continue working in the nice summer weather. I hope you are enjoying your holidays and that those of us who have to wait can look forward to the coming vacations. Even though it is summer, there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• 2022 a better financial year for hospitals than expected. What were the reasons?
• The right of elderly care clients for intramural care to be reduced. How does this fit in overall process of redefining Dutch elderly care?
• M&A in the healthcare IT sector. Will there be further consolidation in the sector?
• In a new snapshot we give an overview of Calculus, a healthcare IT company currently in the news

Some of you are probably already on vacation, but some of us have to continue working in the nice summer weather. I hope you are enjoying your holidays and that those of us who have to wait can look forward to the coming vacations. Even though it is summer, there is still news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Mixed news concerning the development of new senior living / nursing home capacity. Will the ambitious targets be met?
• Dutch Competition Authority (ACM) will not hinder increased cooperation in the healthcare sector. Good news for the roll-out of IZA and WOZO?
• Government report recommend that self-pay by elderly care clients is increased. Is this good news for commercial operators?
• In a new snapshot we give an overview of Cooperative Boer en Zorg, an interesting concept for healthcare provision by farmers

It was great meeting many of you last week at the HBI conference in London. Lots of very interesting talks and discussions, and good opportunities to talk informally. A “welcome” to my new contacts who have agreed to be put on my mailing list. I hope that you find my bi-weekly updates on the Dutch healthcare sector interesting and useful. In this update we cover:

• Bad news / good news concerning hospital consolidation. What will be the next steps?
• Extra salary for elderly care staff. When will other sectors follow?
• More loss-making organizations in the disabled care sector. Will tariffs be increased?
• In a new snapshot we give an overview of Mauritskliniek, a group of specialized clinics

As I am writing this we are enjoying another beautiful summer day her in the Netherlands. I hope that you are also able to enjoy the summer weather. There is, of course, news to be covered related to the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Further consolidation in the diagnostics sector. Who will be next?
• Large traditional Dutch healthcare conglomerate to (finally) be split up. What has taken so long?
• New large acquisition in the veterinary sector. Will the sector follow the same process as dentistry?
• Private equity important player in healthcare related M&A. Will the boom in M&A continue?

I am back from a ten-day holiday in Norway. The original plan was to spend some of the days walking in the mountains from cabin to cabin, but this had to be changed due to the massive amounts of snow still remaining in the mountains – spring comes late to Norway. Luckily, we were able to celebrate the Norwegian national day (17 May with lots of people in traditional clothes (bunad) intense flag-waving) and visit family.

There is, of course, news to be described related to the Dutch healthcare sector. In this update we cover:

• Another defeat for ACM (Dutch Competition Authority). What are consequences for their activist approach?
• Another acquisition by Unilabs. Is the diagnostics sector consolidating?
• Tariffs for elderly care to be reduced by 3%. What are the consequences for the sector?
• In a new snapshot we give an overview of Yes We Can Clinics, a provider of mental healthcare to youth

I hope that you are doing well and are enjoying the many free days (especially in the UK) and beautiful weather in May. This time, no update on news from the overall Dutch healthcare sector (although there is a fair amount of news to be highlighted), but rather a focused update on the Dutch commercial nursing home sector.

As some of you may remember I had an accident in 2018 and was limited in my movements. I used my downtime at home to develop a bottom-up overview of the Dutch commercial nursing home sector. After my 2018 overview a lot changed in the sector, and in 2021 I revisited my analysis, but with a focus on the large national chains. Given some downtime last week between projects I decided to develop a new overview of the current situation of the sector and give an overview of the developments we have seen since 2018.

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