Five local health boards – Amsterdam, Arnhem, Groningen, Utrecht and Gouda – have been warned by the national health council they face capacity problems when taking over local care service provision next year.

The regions have been told to make sure they have sufficient services available to make sure no one misses out on the care they are entitled to. The government is transferring responsibility for long-term care from national to local government and slashing spending.

This means thousands of people will no longer be entitled to residential care and councils will have to ensure they have enough home helps and nurses to take up the slack.

The national audit office, the government’s macro-economic planning agency CPB, patient organisations and the Council of State – the government’s most senior advisory body – have all issued warnings about the change being made too quickly.