European support for upgrade of Utrecht’s Diakonessenhuis hospital

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  EIB to lend €43 million to Diakonessenhuis hospital with support of the European Commission’s Investment Plan for Europe, or Juncker Plan.
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  Financing will support the hospital’s strategic investment programme up to 2022, including construction of new facilities and renovation of existing ones.

The European Investment Bank and the Diakonessenhuis Hospital in Utrecht have signed a lending agreement for EUR 43 million, supported by the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI), the main pillar of the Investment Plan for Europe, also known as the Juncker Plan.

The financing will be used for Diakonessenhuis’ strategic investment programme, running up to 2022, which aims to improve the quality of the medical services provided, and maintain Diakonessenhuis' important position as a healthcare provider in the region. The EU-backed financing will allow the hospital to invest in modern, state of the art infrastructure that is efficient, flexible, easily adaptable to future changes of service needs, and expandable without disruption to ongoing operations.

Jyrki Katainen, European Commission Vice-President responsible for Jobs, Growth, Investment and Competitiveness, said: “Providing high-quality healthcare for patients is fundamental which is why the Investment Plan for Europe has been very active in supporting medical projects across the EU since 2015. With today’s loan agreement, Utrecht’s population will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities with the latest technology.”

“It is important that hospitals adapt their service profile to the population’s changing health care needs, as well as to the progress of health care technology.” said EIB Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle. “The improvements to the hospital’s various locations, and the upgrade of the electronic medical record system mean that it will become more efficient, flexible, and easily adaptable to possible future changes.”

On a technical level, the project concerns the new construction of a healthcare centre and a hybrid operating theatre in Utrecht, as well as renovation works in its existing facilities in both Utrecht and Zeist. The loan will also cover the acquisition of medical and non-medical equipment, as well as allow the hospital to upgrade its electronic patient file. This will allow for a greater focus on personalised care, improved working environment, optimised patient and workforce mobility, as well as improved compliance with new health and safety regulations. All these aspects will contribute directly or indirectly to the overall well-being of the population.

Martijn Wiesenekker, member Board of Directors Diakonessenhuis: “2019 marks our 175th year of being the hospital for the city and region of Utrecht. This makes investing in care for our patients through a loan from the Bank of the European Union extra special. And we are glad to do so in deliberation with our own bankers Rabo and BNG. Generations of patients and employees love coming to us because of our human dimension, personal attention and atmosphere. We like to keep innovating, so that in the future, we will continue to be the hospital close to young and old.”

Background information:

The European Investment Bank is the EU’s long-term lending institution; her shares are held by the EU Member States. The EIB makes long-term financing available for sound investment projects that contribute to the policy goals of the European Union. Last year, the EIB made available around EUR 2 billion for projects in the Netherlands alone.

Diakonessenhuis is a general hospital operating in the centre of the Netherlands. It has two inpatient facilities in Utrecht and Zeist, and an outpatient clinic in Doorn. It is a private not-for-profit foundation, under Dutch law, with no shareholders and therefore controlled by its Board of Directors.

The Investment Plan for Europe - the Juncker Plan - focuses on strengthening European investments to create jobs and growth. It does so by making smarter use of new and existing financial resources, removing obstacles to investment, and providing visibility and technical assistance to investment projects. The European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) is the central pillar of the Juncker Plan. It provides a first loss guarantee, allowing the EIB to invest in more, often riskier, projects. So far, the projects and agreements approved for financing under the EFSI are expected to mobilise over EUR 393 billion in investments and support around 945,000 SMEs across all 28 Member States. Find the latest EFSI figures by sector and by country here, or see the FAQs.