Health minister Edith Schippers and the medical specialists organisation have reached a deal on their budget for 2012.

In total, the specialists will be able to earn a combined €2bn, in line with this year’s budget. From 2012, costs can rise by 2.5% a year.
A large overspend in the budget for specialists this year has led the minister to claw back some of the cash from hospitals next year.
In November, the association’s chairman Frank de Grave suggested Medical specialists should face a salary ceiling of €300,000. Many, who act as independents rather than employees, earn well above that.
The Netherlands has some 6,000 medical specialists on fixed contracts and 6,700 independents.