Talking to a Dutch GP

This guide explains how Dutch GP appointments work and how to prepare for one. It isn't medical advice: it can't tell you whether a symptom needs a doctor, or what treatment is right for you. Those are always questions for your GP.

1. Why it works this way

A few things about Dutch general practice surprise people used to a different system. None of them are a sign you're being dismissed — they're how the system is deliberately built.

Your huisarts is the gatekeeper. You can't book a hospital specialist directly: your GP refers you (verwijzing), and basic insurance generally won't pay for specialist care without one.

Source: rijksoverheid.nl, "Ben ik vrij om zelf een huisarts te kiezen?".

The assistant answers first, and that's by design. When you call, a doktersassistente (medical assistant) asks what's going on and decides the urgency and the right next step — seeing the GP, a phone call, or self-care advice. This is called triage, and assessing urgency and routing is a core, trained part of their job, not a brush-off.

Source: NVDA (Nederlandse Vereniging van Doktersassistenten), "Het beroep".

Dutch GPs often wait before treating, and prescribe fewer antibiotics. For many common, self-limiting complaints — a cold, a mild infection, a minor injury — the advice is often paracetamol and time, with a clear plan for when to come back if things don't improve. This "watchful waiting" (afwachtend beleid) approach, and the generally cautious use of antibiotics, follows national guidelines (NHG) aimed at avoiding unnecessary treatment and antibiotic resistance. It's a system norm, not a judgement about your specific complaint — and you can always ask directly why your GP is recommending it, and what would change their approach.

Source: Thuisarts.nl (the Dutch College of General Practitioners' patient-information site), "Ik ben verkouden"; RIVM, "Strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for primary care providers".

2. Before you call or visit

Standard appointments are short — traditionally around 10 minutes, and since 2025 the NZa has funded practices to move toward about 15 minutes. A little preparation makes that time count.

• Write a short summary first: what's going on, since when, whether it's getting worse or staying the same, what you've already tried, and how it affects your daily life.
• Mention relevant history from abroad — a past diagnosis, surgery, or medication — even if it feels like old news. Your Dutch file starts empty; the assistant or GP has no way to know unless you say so.
• Ask for a double appointment (dubbel consult) if you have more than one thing to cover, or expect it'll take longer than a standard slot.

Source: rijksoverheid.nl; Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit (NZa), "Structurele bekostiging van meer tijd voor de patiënt per 2025" (appointment length).

Before you call, specifically

3. Ask for a consultation when it matters

Phone triage is meant to route you efficiently, not to replace being seen when you need to be. If phone advice doesn't feel like enough — the problem is persistent, unusual for you, or hard to describe over the phone — say so directly: ask for a consultation (spreekuur) rather than phone-only advice (telefonisch advies). You're allowed to ask, and it's a normal request, not a complaint about the assistant's judgement.

4. If you disagree, or it doesn't improve

Always ask what happens next. Before you leave or hang up, ask what to do if things don't improve, and by when you should come back or call again. A clear "come back if X" plan is standard practice — ask for one if you weren't given it.

Ask directly for a referral or a second opinion if you want a specialist's view and weren't offered one. Dutch GPs are used to this request — being clear and specific helps, for example: "I'd like a referral because the pain hasn't improved in three weeks and it's affecting my sleep." A second opinion from another Dutch specialist, in the same field and with a referral, is generally covered in full by basic insurance (your eigen risico still applies).

Source: Menzis, "Vergoeding second opinion"; PZP, "Vergoeding second opinion".

5. Online booking and e-consult

What's available depends on your practice — appointment slots, booking methods and portal features all vary. Many practices now offer a patient portal for online appointment booking, repeat prescription requests, and e-consult — a secure written question to your GP, typically for non-urgent things like a previously discussed complaint, a test result, or a medication question, usually answered within 1–2 working days. These written options can also be easier than a phone call if you find phoning difficult, for whatever reason. Ask your practice whether they offer this, and note you'll likely need DigiD to log in.

Source: individual GP practice and patient-portal provider information (e.g. Mijngezondheid.net, Medipark). Availability and response times vary by practice; this isn't a nationwide guarantee.

6. Printable GP visit prep

Fill this in before you call or go in, then print it or bring it on your phone.

Get this as a free PDF: First GP Visit Summary template →

Rather we handle it? Become a founding member →

7. When not to wait

None of the above applies if something is seriously wrong. If you're not sure, it's always fine to call and say you're worried.

• Life-threatening emergency: call 112.
• Urgent, but it can wait for a call, during office hours: call your huisarts and say it's urgent — many practices have a separate number or phone-menu option for same-day problems, usually listed on their website, separate from the line for routine appointments.
• Evenings, nights and weekends, and it can't wait: call the huisartsenpost for your area before going. A trained assistant triages your call by phone and decides how soon you need to be seen — this is standard practice, not a dismissal of your concern. Having a short, clear description of your symptoms ready makes the call quicker.
• Thinking about suicide: call 113 or 0800-0113 (free), day or night.
• If symptoms get worse, or something new and concerning appears, contact your GP or the huisartsenpost again — don't wait for a scheduled follow-up.

Finding which huisartsenpost covers you: if you have a GP, their website — or the message you hear when you call their regular number outside office hours — usually tells you which one to call. The Landelijke Huisartsen Vereniging (LHV), the Dutch GPs' professional association, requires practices to make this clear outside opening hours. No GP yet, or want to double-check? Search by postcode on InEen's own site — InEen coordinates out-of-hours GP posts nationally. Once you know it, save the number in My care contacts on the urgent help screen, so it's one tap away next time.

Source: LHV, "Bereikbaarheid praktijk".

Not sure how urgent your situation is? Zorglane doesn't judge symptoms — Thuisarts.nl's own guide to who to call can help you decide.

Source: Thuisarts.nl (NHG), "Spoed: wie bel je?".

Dutch terms you'll meet

This guide explains how Dutch GP appointments work. It isn't medical advice, and it can't tell you whether a symptom needs attention or what treatment is right for you — those are always questions for your GP or, in an emergency, 112. Spotted something out of date? Email hello@zorglane.com.

Sources

• rijksoverheid.nl, Ben ik vrij om zelf een huisarts te kiezen?
• NVDA, Het beroep
• Thuisarts.nl, Ik ben verkouden
• RIVM, Strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for primary care providers
• NZa, Structurele bekostiging van meer tijd voor de patiënt per 2025
• Menzis, Vergoeding second opinion
• PZP, Vergoeding second opinion
• Thuisarts.nl (NHG), Spoed: wie bel je?
• LHV, Bereikbaarheid praktijk