Assen – Major changes are needed to keep healthcare and welfare good, accessible and affordable in the future. Drenthe is the first region in the Netherlands to draw up a work agenda; a concrete plan to reduce the pressure on healthcare and welfare and to move from care to health.
This ambitious step is the result of close collaboration between various parties in the healthcare and welfare sector, residents, municipalities, health insurers and other stakeholders, bundled under the banner of the Gezonde Marke partnership.
The Drenthe Dream
The work agenda builds on the 2023 regional picture, in which facts and figures about population, health, care and welfare were presented. This image clearly showed that Drenthe faces major and complex challenges. Based on this, we jointly formulated The Drenthe Dream: “By 2040, vulnerable groups will have gained 10 additional healthy years of life. Well-being and well-being have been enhanced for everyone. All residents of Drenthe have equal opportunities for appropriate care.”
The Drenthe Regional Plan, adopted at the end of December 2023, formed the basis for this work agenda. Over the past period, we have translated this regional plan into concrete actions, on which there is now consensus. The Healthy Market work agenda shows which concrete activities the Drenthe parties involved jointly undertake to achieve the goals of the regional plan. More than 50 projects, initiatives and transformation programs, spread over six main themes, are included in this work agenda. For each component it is made clear what it entails, to what purpose it contributes, who the initiator is, which parties are involved, where the financial resources come from and what the planning and preconditions are. This includes a variety of activities. From strengthening primary care to setting up chain care for fall prevention, providing insight into waiting times in healthcare or organizing regional employment.
Read the response to this work agenda from administrators, a resident of Drenthe and a healthcare professional on the website.
Follow-up
Due to the importance that all parties attach to proper implementation of the work agenda, the Healthy Marke will have a permanent implementation organization from 1 July 2024. This supports all parties involved in implementing the actions in the work agenda.
