The caretaker cabinet is planning to give a bonus to everyone who works in healthcare and earns less than twice the modal wage this year, medical care minister Tamara van Ark has told MPs.

Depending on the number of requests, the bonus will be a net amount of between €200 and €240, the minister said. The government has set aside €720m to fund it.

This year the plan is to include physiotherapists and midwives as well. Like last year, when the bonus was €1,000, cleaners, self-employed nurses and agency staff are also eligible.

The modal income in the Netherlands is currently around €36,000 a year.