The Pivotal Role of the GP (Huisarts) in Dutch Healthcare for Expats

The Huisarts: Your Primary Point of Contact

In the Netherlands, your huisarts is almost always your first point of contact for any medical concern. This 'gatekeeper' model means that for most conditions, you will visit your GP before being referred to a hospital specialist. This system is designed to:

• Ensure Comprehensive Primary Care: Your GP is highly trained to diagnose and treat a wide range of common illnesses and injuries.
• Provide Continuity of Care: Your GP maintains a complete medical record, ensuring that all treatments and referrals are cohesive and appropriate for your health history.
• Optimize Healthcare Resources: By filtering cases, the GP system ensures that specialists and hospital emergency rooms are utilized for truly necessary and complex conditions, thereby containing costs and reducing waiting times for acute care.

What Your GP Can Do For You

Your GP is a versatile medical professional offering a wide array of services:

• Diagnosis and Treatment: Handling everything from colds and infections to chronic disease management.
• Prescribing Medication: Issuing prescriptions for necessary drugs.
• Minor Procedures: Performing small surgical procedures, wound care, and basic gynecological examinations.
• Preventative Care: Offering advice on healthy lifestyles, vaccinations, and routine health checks.
• Mental Health Support: Providing initial counseling or referring you to a POH-GGZ (mental health professional in the GP practice) or a specialist psychologist/psychiatrist.
• Referrals to Specialists: Guiding you to the appropriate hospital specialist when needed, providing the mandatory referral.

Registering with a GP Practice

It is mandatory and crucial to register with a local GP practice soon after you register with your municipality (BRP) and have Dutch health insurance.

• Finding a GP: Search online for "huisarts [your city/neighborhood] engels". Many practices in expat areas are expat-friendly.
• Required Documents: You'll need your BSN (Citizen Service Number), ID, and health insurance details.
• Communication: Most Dutch GPs speak excellent English. Don't hesitate to ask to communicate in English.

When Your GP is Closed: The Huisartsenpost

For urgent medical issues that cannot wait until your GP's regular opening hours (evenings, nights, weekends, public holidays), but are NOT life-threatening emergencies, you contact the 'Huisartsenpost' (GP out-of-hours service).

You must always call the Huisartsenpost first. They will assess your situation over the phone and determine if you need to visit them, receive a home visit, or if telephone advice is sufficient. The number for your local Huisartsenpost is usually available on your regular GP's answering machine or website.

Costs and Insurance Coverage

As mentioned, GP visits are covered by basic health insurance and exempt from 'eigen risico'. However, any medications prescribed by your GP or referrals to specialists will count towards your mandatory 'eigen risico' (€385 in 2025).

Understanding and respecting the GP's central role is key to efficiently navigating the Dutch healthcare landscape as an expat.