Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. All telephone conversations are automatically recorded. The conversations are recorded from the moment the call is answered by the out-of-hours GP practice until the moment the call is ended by the assistant or GP.
All incoming telephone conversations at the out-of-hours GP practice are recorded and stored for quality purposes and in accordance with the statutory retention period. The recorded conversations are treated with the utmost confidentiality and are covered by medical confidentiality. You will have the option of listening back to the conversation if you have a complaint about the handling of your request for GP care. An application would need to be submitted for this and a procedure must subsequently be followed.The recorded conversations are used to improve the assistants’ level of expertise. Attention is only devoted to the medical content and handling, not the patient’s identity. The recorded conversations are treated with the utmost confidentiality and are covered by medical confidentiality.
We record all telephone conversations:
- In order to test the quality of the telephone consultations conducted by doctor’s assistants and improve this where necessary through education and training.
- So we can listen to how a telephone conversation went in case we receive a complaint about a situation.
You can call the out-of-hours GP practice at a local rate. These are the costs associated with using your (mobile) telephone. The amount of these costs will depend on your telephone provider. The costs you’ll be charged for a telephone consultation are separate from this. The basic insurance will cover the GP costs and therefore also the out-of-hours GP practice’s costs. The bill will go straight to your health insurer if you’re insured. However, you’ll need to immediately pay for the consultation or prescription costs at the out-of-hours GP practice if you’re not insured. You can only pay by debit card at the practice. Payment must be made prior to the consultation.
You will get to speak to an efficiently trained and experienced triage assistant. He or she would prefer to speak directly to the patient if possible. If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, then make sure you are with the patient and have all of his or her personal details to hand.
Depending on your situation:
- You will receive medical advice
- You will be given an appointment for a visit to your local out-of-hours GP practice
- The GP will visit you at home (if visiting the practice is medically irresponsible)
Are you dealing with a life-threatening situation? Then press ‘1’ on your phone and your call will be given priority.No. Your call will be answered by an especially trained assistant. This assistant will provide you with good advice. This advice is always checked by the GP. The assistant will also make arrangements for a visit to the practice, or a doctor’s visit to your home, if this is deemed necessary.
The out-of-hours GP practice provides emergency care. The doctor’s assistant will ask you a number of questions about your urgent health symptoms in order to assess the degree of urgency. This is the only way the assistant will be able to determine what help is needed and how quickly. This will allow for an appointment to be scheduled if necessary, which means you won’t need to wait for an unnecessarily long time when you visit the practice.
How long you need to wait to speak to someone will depend on the number of people calling the out-of-hours GP practice at the same time. You will sometimes need to wait longer if it’s very busy.
Two different types of questions are asked; about your personal data and about your medical data. Your personal data is intended for our administration and the duty doctor. Questions about your health are used to estimate how quickly you need help and from whom. The assistant on the phone has been especially trained for this purpose. All her advice will be reviewed by the GP afterwards.
The out-of-hours GP practice is available to patients with urgent health problems, for which you would otherwise call your GP.
The hospital’s Emergency Department is intended for serious situations which require a medical specialist. If in doubt, please call the out-of-hours GP practice first.No, you would need to call the duty dentist.
Yes, you can call the out-of-hours GP practice if you’re suffering from symptoms which can’t wait until the next working day.
The Dutch Healthcare Authority (DHa) is a national organisation which sets the rates for healthcare institutions. The DHa assesses the rates the out-of-hours GP practice can charge every year. The rates may differ per out-of-hours GP practice.
That probably means not all your insurance details are correct.
The doctor’s assistant acts under the duty doctor’s responsibility. All advice is checked and assessed by the doctor. Every request for help is registered for your own GP’s medical file. Contact between a patient and the GP at the out-of-hours GP practice is not necessary in case of a telephone consultation.
The out-of-hours GP practice won’t be able to do anything about the amount on your bill. This is determined by the Dutch Healthcare Authority (DHa).
You’re obliged to take out health insurance yourself. Patients who can’t prove they’re insured will immediately need to pay at the out-of-hours GP practice. These patients can subsequently claim back these costs if they’re insured for this. The same also applies to all foreign tourists.
You may receive a separate bill from the pharmacy for medication you received during your visit to the emergency out-of-hours GP practice or during a visit. A surcharge will always be charged by the pharmacy for evening/night/weekend hours.
Yes, you can pay for the costs of a visit to the out-of-hours GP practice with a debit card.
An experienced doctor’s assistant will answer the phone when you call the emergency out-of-hours GP practice. She will ask you about your symptoms. She’ll also ask you about any regular medication and your insurance details. Make sure you have this to hand. Make sure you also take your proof of identity with you to the out-of-hours GP practice. This is compulsory and can be requested. The assistant can (depending on your symptoms):
- give advice without you speaking to the GP yourself. This will concern symptoms which, from a medical perspective, can wait until you can visit your own GP. All advice is carefully checked by the duty doctor at the practice within one hour (self-care advice)
- ask the GP to call you back (telephone consultation)
- make an appointment for you at the emergency out-of-hours GP practice (consultation)
- arrange for a GP to come to your home (visit)
From 17.00 hours to 08.00 hours the next morning on weekdays.
During the weekends from 17.00 hours on Friday through to 08.00 hours on Monday.The out-of-hours GP practice is open from 08.00 hours through to the following morning at 08.00 hours on public holidays.
No, you always need to call for an appointment first. The out-of-hours GP practice is only available to patients with urgent symptoms in the evening, at night, during the weekend or on public holidays. You should go and see your own GP the next working day if your symptoms are not urgent.
Take a look at www.thuisarts.nl or use the Do I need to see the doctor? app if you’re not sure whether your symptoms are urgent. Call the out-of-hours GP practice to discuss matters if you’re still not sure.
You should contact the out-of-hours GP practice with symptoms which can’t wait until the next working day. You should contact the out-of-hours GP practice if you’re suddenly experiencing symptoms, if you have (chronic) symptoms which are suddenly worsening, or if your child has suddenly become very unwell.
You don’t need urgent care for symptoms you’ve had for a while, or symptoms which are really only a nuisance at that time. You shouldn’t contact the out-of-hours GP practice with these types of symptoms, also if you don’t have time during the day.
No, the out-of-hours GP practice is intended for urgent health problems which can’t wait. There isn’t sufficient capacity at the out-of-hours GP practice for things which can wait until your own GP practice’s normal opening hours.
Cars to be used for home visits are available at all out-of-hours GP practices. The GP can be with you within fifteen minutes if this is deemed to be medically necessary. The cars are then permitted to drive with blue flashing lights. Waiting times may be longer for patients requiring visits which are less urgent in nature.
The out-of-hours GP practice car is equipped to provide emergency assistance and has plenty of medical equipment on board, including a ventilator and a defibrillator.
Assistance can be requested from the ambulance service if the need arises.
No, of course we understand not having transport can be very difficult, but that’s not a reason for the GP to visit your home. You will therefore need to arrange your own transport.
The following is some of the patient information the triage assistant will need from you:
If you’re calling on behalf of someone else, then you’ll also need to have this information to hand for that person.- Your date of birth, name, postcode and house number
- Your telephone number
- Your GP’s name
- Your health insurance number
- Description of your symptom(s)
- Your medical history (any important conditions/illnesses/allergies)
- Any regular medication you take
- Proof of identity (are you visiting the out-of-hours GP practice? Then make sure you bring your proof of identity with you)
Do you urgently need a GP in the evening, at night or during the weekend? Then you need to call the out-of-hours GP practice.
Urgent symptoms are health symptoms which can’t wait until you can visit your own GP the next working day. For example, worsening shortness of breath, paralysis symptoms, severe pain, a seriously ill child or an accident at home. Or if you’re concerned enough to want to request medical advice!
Yes, your GP will be informed of the content of your contact with the out-of-hours GP practice the next working day. Unless an incorrect GP is listed.
Yes, that’s possible. You have the right to access and receive a copy of your medical file within the statutory retention obligation period. We’ll usually refer you to your own GP, who’ll receive a full report of every contact you’ve had with the out-of-hours GP practice.
As a patient, you will need to give your own GP practice permission to share your medical data with the emergency department. You are certainly advised to do so. Emergency departments and pharmacies will not be able to consult your medical data if you don’t give your permission. Not even in emergency situations!
From 2013, your GP and pharmacy will only be able to share your medical data with other healthcare providers if you give them express permission in advance. Other healthcare providers will only be able to request your data if this is necessary for the purpose of your treatment. You can give permission via the www.ikgeeftoestemming.nl website. You can fill in your details and send them by text message using DigiD.
Patients normally arrange their repeat prescriptions via their own GP. It’s only possible for a duty doctor to write out a repeat prescription in urgent cases. The doctor would then prescribe as much medication as necessary to tide you over until your own GP’s next surgery. Please do bear in mind that pharmacies will charge extra for out-of-hours services. These costs can amount to 40 euros and will be at your own expense.
It should, in principle, instantly be your turn, as your appointment has already been established by phone. However, you may still need to wait a while, as appointments can run over, or because there may have been urgent cases in between appointments.
That’s because consultations can run over, or because there may have been urgent cases in between appointments. It’s often particularly busy on Saturdays and the waiting times can be quite extensive. The appointment time we give you therefore serves as a guide. The employee at the counter will usually be able to give you a good idea of the actual waiting time.
You’re not permitted to take photographs or videos of employees or GPs at the out-of-hours GP practice. We would also ask you to carefully follow our employees’ instructions. They will always do their utmost to ensure you’re seen as quickly as possible.
No, you need to look after your own belongings. We can’t be held responsible for theft, loss or damage to your personal belongings at the out-of-hours GP practice.
We’re obliged to register your Citizen Service Number (CSN). The CSN is a unique personal number. This is used for a reliable exchange of medical data and prevents cases of mistaken identity.
It goes without saying we’ll help you, but you will need to come back with your proof of identity at a later stage. We are obliged to check your CSN. We won’t be able to request any of your medical information from healthcare providers other than your GP without your CSN.