Health minister Hugo de Jonge has called for a ‘pact’ on how to spend the €435m in extra cash the government has allocated to services for the elderly.

‘If grandma does not notice anything, then we have not done our job properly,’ De Jonge told the Telegraaf.

He wants care providers, social workers, volunteer organisations and local government officials to get round the table and work out a plan to reduce loneliness, improve home care services and improve the quality of nursing homes.

‘Every location needs to have an improvement plan,’ he said. In particular, nursing home residents should notice a positive change in staffing levels, he said.