Medical issues in the Netherlands

On this page you will find more information about medical issues when you come to the Netherlands. For more information about health insurance we refer you to the insurance page.
The general emergency number to dial for police, fire brigade or ambulance service to take you to a hospital is: 112

General Practitioner

In the Netherlands people should first visit their General Practitioner ('huisarts') with their medical complaints. If your GP concludes your complaint is serious enough, you will be forwarded to a medical specialist often in a hospital. However, every hospital provides emergency aid for obvious health issues.
If you are searching for a new General Practitioner you should keep in mind that expats may have specific problems. Therefore, it is good to ask your potential GP if he treats more expats. Other points of attention are the estimated time per appointment, the policy on house visits and if he is attached to a particular hospital.

Other medical issues

Hospitals

If you need to visit a hospital close to your neighbourhood, here is a list of Amsterdam districts and their nearest hospital.

Regular medication

If you are on regular medication, it might be a problem to get the exact same drugs in the Netherlands. It depends very much on which General Practitioner you visit whether you get the exact prescription you want.

Some GP's are not very keen on giving extensive additional medication. They first try other treatments. As said before, it depends a lot on which GP you choose.