King visits Blue Care pioneer site in Maastricht

King Willem-Alexander and Minister Bruins for Medical Care and Sport made an unexpected visit to the initiatives of the Blue Care pioneer site in Maastricht on 4 September. The focus was on 'the right care in the right place'.

 

The visit focused on two ambitious initiatives of the Blue Care pioneer site, namely; ‘primary care plus’ and ‘Blue Care in the neighborhood’. In the former initiative, specialized care is offered in outpatient city centers where medical specialists see patients with various non-complex health issues. The aim of this initiative is to reduce the pressure on specialist care in the hospital, while improving access for patients and saving costs. The latter initiative revolves around improving the integration between primary care services and social care. The Living Lab on Sustainable Care of the Department of Health Services Research (HSR) plays a central role in monitoring and evaluating both initiatives.

At the discussion table, professor Dirk Ruwaard, the driving force behind the Living Lab on Sustainable Care, spoke with the King and the Minister about maintaining access to good healthcare for everyone, now and in the future. Furthermore, the participants discussed the national Knowledge Platform "the right care in the right place", which is set to commence and for which professor Ruwaard has been appointed as Chair by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport. During the informal drinks, Sanne Grootjans, PhD student at HSR, spoke with the King and the Minister about how the residents within the pioneer site can become more closely involved with their care.

Under the motto ‘The right care in the right place’, the Blue Care pioneer site in  Maastricht is a successful example of cooperation in the region. It started in 2013 with support from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport to optimize care in the neighborhood.

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Foto Koning Stadspoli

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