Last year, two hospitals were actually chosen. UMC Utrecht and Erasmus MC were allowed to continue operations by the then Minister of Health Hugo de Jonge, the other hospitals had to close their children’s heart centers. This quickly led to protests. It was reason for De Jonge’s successor, current minister Ernst Kuipers, to put the entire plan on hold and to ask the Dutch Healthcare Authority to first make an ‘impact analysis’. This impact analysis examines the consequences of the closure of Leiden and Groningen for the healthcare institutions, healthcare providers, patients and their families involved.
Exciting day for UMC Utrecht: will the children’s heart center remain open?
