On 10 June 2026, Diversity of Nursing attended the lecture by Kim Putters in Vianen.
This inspiring meeting focused on broad prosperity, social justice, inclusion, digitalisation, the environment and the future of healthcare. It was emphasised that, whilst the Netherlands enjoys a high level of broad prosperity, not everyone benefits from it. The challenges within the healthcare sector were also discussed, such as: complex funding arrangements, increasing pressure on informal carers and limited access to appropriate care.
The topics discussed during this lecture are closely linked to what we see in practice on a daily basis. People in vulnerable situations – including, in our experience, refugees, migrant workers, status holders and those facing socio-economic and social challenges – often suffer the consequences of inequality, exclusion and limited access to healthcare. This is deeply worrying and calls for change.
Scarce resources in the Netherlands – healthcare being one of them – need to be distributed more effectively, according to Kim. He called for better (perhaps even mandatory) cooperation between healthcare purchasers and supply chain partners, less fragmentation of systems, working together and inclusion.
For Diversity of Nursing, it is important not only to be present at healthcare conferences, but also to take part in meetings such as this one. After all, social, economic and societal circumstances have a major impact on health, and on mental health in particular. That is why we focus not only on healthcare provision, but also on the social determinants of health and on reducing socio-economic health inequalities (SEGV).
We would like to thank Kim Putters for this valuable and inspiring lecture and will continue to follow his work within the Social and Economic Council with great interest.
”Good care does not begin solely in the consultation room, but also in taking account of the social, economic and societal circumstances in which people live.”
