Staff at the VUmc hospital in Zuid describe the mood as resigned since its closure by 2040 was announced before the summer.
An anonymous employee says nobody was surprised, because everyone knew one hospital on two sites did not work.
Many expect staff to leave and force an earlier closure, and in the corridors the estimate is about seven more years.
Staff shortages have forced closures before: the children’s intensive care unit shut in 2018 after specialist nurses left.
The emergency department went daytime only in July 2023 and closed completely in spring 2024.
Patients who need several departments are taken by ambulance between De Boelelaan in Zuid and the Meibergdreef in Zuidoost.
About 33% of ambulance trips in Amsterdam are planned, non-urgent rides, against at most 25% elsewhere.
Former neurosurgery head Peter Vandertop puts the savings of a single site at 375 million and argues for 2030 or 2035.
In a written response, the Amsterdam UMC board called 2040 the latest moving date, which leaves room for an earlier move.
Former AMC chief Marcel Levi does not rule that out and regrets not pushing harder for one site.
With the emergency department at De Boelelaan closed, check out our guide to Amsterdam hospitals.