Here in the Netherlands we are enjoying an Indian Summer. Wonderful sunny days, but with a fresh feel. Quite nice after a long hot summer. For this update we cover:

• Bergman (finally) makes acquisition in Germany. Will the sales process also start up again?
• Specialized home nursing operators does not accept new clients from a major insurance company. Why is this happening?
• Different views regarding how banks see Dutch healthcare providers post-corona. Who is right?
• In our snapshot we give an overview of ExperTcare, a provider of specialized homecare for children and adults

Officially summer is now over. I hope that you have all enjoyed it and are fully prepared for the opportunities and challenges of autumn. For this update we cover:

• Commercial mental healthcare provider signs multi-year contract with major health insurance company. Is this good news for ongoing M&A activities?
• Strong growth in nursing home capacity is required, but municipalities and laws make growth difficult. How can this be changed?
• Revenues up but profitability decreases for Dutch elderly care sector. How is he sector positioned for 2020?
• Banks prepared to finance investments in nursing homes but worries about cross subsidies between housing and healthcare activities. Are operators building sufficient reserves for upcoming investments?

After a wet and relatively cool July summer seems to have finally arrived in August. Summer is relatively quiet but there is always some news. For this update we cover:

• Decline in healthcare real estate investments. Will investments return to earlier levels?
• ODG stops sale of home-care business. Will it look for a new buyer?
• Middin stops with elderly care. Will other traditional operators also review their portfolios?
• In our snapshot we give a review of Mentaal Beter, a national provider of outpatient mental healthcare

Here in the Netherlands we have had a record-breaking heat wave with eight days of day-time temperatures higher than 30 degrees. However, the hot weather has not stopped activities in the Dutch healthcare sector: For this update we cover:

• Acquisition of dentist chain is a “fiasco”. Will this put a damper of further consolidation in the sector?
• Bergman Clinics sales process starting up again. Who will be the buyer?
• M&A activity in Dutch healthcare sector picking up. Is this the start of a new trend?

I hope that you are all enjoying the summer even in these strange times. If you are on vacation you are probably relatively close to home, which I find has its own charms. For this update we cover:

• Orpea and Korian continue to grow in the Dutch market  through acquisitions. Who will be next?
• Bergman rebrands Dutch ophthalmology locations to Memira. What does this mean for their international strategy?
• FocusCura is acquired by Assa Abloy. Is this the start of more consolidation in the Dutch personal alarm sector?
• Tariffs for maternity care are increased substantially. Will this make the sector attractive for foreign investors?

Here in the Netherlands we now have (almost) tropical weather. I hope that you are also able to enjoy summer weather and all its associated pleasures and not be too troubled by less nice aspects such as bugs. It seems that summer also entails less news. In this update we cover:

• Bergman opens new clinic and seems to be back in business. When will the sales process be restarted?
• Health minister moves financing from home care to long-term care. Is this contrary to government strategy and policy?

One of the stranger effects of the corona-crisis for me personally is that I have become much more interested in my garden. In addition to buying plants, this involves worrying whether the plants have enough water. I am therefore quite happy that we have had a couple of days of rain recently. In this update we cover a wide range of news from the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Lower results for Buurtzorg in 2019. What does the future look like?
• Only half of independent clinics have made use of the “continuation payments” for supporting the Dutch healthcare sector through the corona-crisis. Why not the rest?
• Yet another hospital-merger is called off. Who will be next?
• Correction: Location to be refurbished by Cofinimmo will fit within the housing component of the traditional Dutch nursing home financing

More good news from the Netherlands. When the cafes are opened on June 1 and you decide to go out for a beer with friend (or on a first date, as may be the case with my daughters) you are now allowed to sit together at the same table and closer than 1.5 meters from each other. Even more good news is that it is possible to write this update and only indirectly touch on corona-related issues:

• Consolidation continues in nursing home sector. Which company will be acquired next?
• Cofinimmo investment will lead to high rental costs. Is there a trend away from direct government financing of housing costs for nursing home clients?
• Corona not expected to have a long-term effect on Dutch nursing home sector. Is the Dutch market more attractive than other countries?

Here in the Netherlands Corona-restrictions are now starting to be eased. Among other things we are now allowed to fix our corona-hair and from 1 June cafes will be allowed to serve customers on terraces (let us hope that the nice weather stays). Another sign of the changing times is that it is getting easier to find news that is not corona-related:

• Yet another hospital merger is called off. Will this trend towards smaller, regionally based organizations continue?
• A new long-term contract between healthcare insurer and mental healthcare provider. What will be the next step in changing the financing of psychiatric care in the Netherlands?
• Dutch healthcare organizations will be compensated for corona-related losses but are still deeply worried about their financial situation. What are consequences for investments?

The world is still in the grips of the Corona virus, but it appears that in many countries (including the Netherlands) the worst has passed. However, there are still reasons to be cautious and the economic consequences will be very large. Maybe it is a sign of the times that while Corona still dominates the news, I have actually managed to find two news items that are not Corona-related:

• High mortality rates in Dutch nursing homes confirmed. What will be the financial consequences for the sector?
• Overall Dutch economy in steep decline, but major bank believes that the healthcare sector will grow. Is this good news?
• Unilabs acquisition of Saltro completed. Will there be more consolidation in the diagnostics sector?
• Supplier of mobility aids is bankrupt. Bankruptcy not due to Corona

All news still seems to be about Corona, and worldwide the number of people struggling with the consequences of the disease and the number of deaths related to Corona is still increasing. The only “good” news seems to be that in the countries that were the early targets of the virus the worst seems to have passed and society is slowly being opened up.

Here in the Netherlands the number of people being admitted to hospitals due to Corona seems to have peaked and discussions have started up concerning how the country can be “opened up” again.  Key news that will have long-term consequences for the (commercial) healthcare sector are:

• Hidden disaster in nursing homes as Corona-related deaths increase. What will be the long-term consequences for the sector?
• Financial directors in the healthcare sector expect hard times. Will important investments be delayed?

Since my last update the world has more or less stopped and there is no news to report from the Netherlands that is not Corona-related:

• Bergman Clinics have closed all non-critical activities. What will happen to the sales process?
• The Government and banks will provide financial support to the Dutch healthcare sector. How will organizations cope?
• Report highlights secondary effects of Corona crisis. What will be the effects on healthcare organizations and patients?

We are living in crazy times. I am sure that you are all sharing my worries about both the present and the future. At the moment we cannot do anything but follow set rules and suggested advice. Let us do our utmost best to support the front-line healthcare worker dealing with the direct effects of the corona virus. One of the best ways  to do this is to stay healthy and make sure that you do not do anything that can spread the virus. Keep strong!

Even though it seems that the world is stopping this is luckily not the case, and there is actually interesting news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Bergman Clinics still open for business. What will happen to the sales process?
• Private equity the key driver for acquisitions in the Dutch healthcare market. Will interest continue to grow?
• Orpea makes new acquisition. Who is now the market leader?
• Key judgement makes provision of long-term care more attractive. Will there be more activity in the sector?
• In our snapshot we provide an overview of the TopzorgGroep, a chain of physiotherapy providers

We are living in crazy times. I am sure that you are all sharing my worries about both the present and the future. At the moment we cannot do anything but follow set rules and suggested advice. Let us do our utmost best to support the front-line healthcare worker dealing with the direct effects of the corona virus. One of the best ways  to do this is to stay healthy and make sure that you do not do anything that can spread the virus. Keep strong!

Even though it seems that the world is stopping this is luckily not the case, and there is actually interesting news to report from the Dutch healthcare sector:

• Bergman Clinics still open for business. What will happen to the sales process?
• Private equity the key driver for acquisitions in the Dutch healthcare market. Will interest continue to grow?
• Orpea makes new acquisition. Who is now the market leader?
• Key judgement makes provision of long-term care more attractive. Will there be more activity in the sector?
• In our snapshot we provide an overview of the TopzorgGroep, a chain of physiotherapy providers

Yesterday in the morning we actually had some snow, but it disappeared quite quickly. Was this the winter of 19/20? In this update there is news on a broad range of items:

• Little news about the sales process for Bergman Clinics in the last few weeks, but their Dutch business is doing well. Good news for the sales process?
• Background for stopped hospital merger explained. What is the future hold for the Langeland hospital?
• The Dutch Healthcare Authority provides overview of recent merger and acquisitions in the Dutch healthcare sector. Will their wish for an expanded role have consequences?