The Dutch healthcare system normally starts with the huisarts. The practical skill is knowing when to use your own practice, the huisartsen-spoedpost, or 112 — and what the first conversation with the assistant or triagist is trying to establish.
The simple route
| Situation | Start here |
|---|---|
| Non-urgent problem or follow-up during normal working hours | Your own huisarts |
| Urgent problem while your practice is open | Your huisarts / practice urgent route |
| Urgent problem that cannot wait until the practice reopens | Huisartsen-spoedpost |
| Life-threatening emergency | 112 |
Do not routinely go straight to a hospital emergency department for a problem that can be assessed through primary care. Rijksoverheid advises contacting the huisartsenpost first when the GP is closed, except in a life-threatening situation.
Why does the assistant ask so many questions?
You will often speak first to a doktersassistent or, out of hours, a trained triagist. Questions about symptoms, duration, medicines, temperature, breathing, pain and warning signs are part of deciding how quickly and by whom you need to be seen. The outcome may be self-care advice, a GP call, an appointment, a home visit, hospital referral or an ambulance.
What does it cost?
- Huisarts care itself does not consume the compulsory eigen risico.
- Huisartsenpost care itself does not consume it either.
- Medicines, laboratory tests and other services ordered by the GP can consume the eigen risico.
- Hospital specialist and emergency-department care generally does consume the eigen risico for adults.
- From 2026, a GP meekijkconsult or meedenkadvies with a specialist no longer consumes the eigen risico.
Referral to a specialist
For most specialist hospital care you need a referral. A GP should refer when medically indicated and should explain a refusal to refer. Some disciplines can normally be accessed without a GP referral, although insurance reimbursement rules still matter.