The IJsselmeer hospital in Lelystad will lose its accident and emergency department and its midwifery services after all because there are not enough specialist staff available in the region, health minister Bruno Bruins has told MPs.

The health ministry was prepared to put in extra money to save the units but only on the condition that the departments could be run in a responsible way, Bruins said.

Bruins had said that keeping the acute departments open would be key in any rescue package for the hospital, which went bust last month. The bankruptcy has led to an outflow of staff and expertise even though the hospital is still open.

Takeover talks are now ongoing but the minister’s decision means an emergency department and specialist midwifery unit are no longer part of the deal.

The closure will mean people who need complex emergency care will have to go to other hospitals in the region, such as Almere, Sneek and Heerenveen, the minister said.

Talks on a takeover of the hospital group are continuing and everyone involved is optimistic about the chances, Bruins told MPs.

Amsterdam

Meanwhile in Amsterdam agreement has been reached on dividing up the work formerly done by the Slotervaart hospital, which had the same owner as the IJsselmeer hospital group and also went bankrupt.

The OLVG group – which has hospitals in the city centre and in west – will take over the bulk of the work done by the Slotervaart.

Cancer services are being transferred to the Antoni van Leeuwenhoek specialist cancer hospital. Some specialist cancer staff have also made the move to the AvL.