General practitioner
Medical aid for international students: how does it work when you need a doctor and where do you go.
It is common in the Netherlands to go a General Practitioner (GP) if you have physical or mental problems and also before you go to the hospital, especially in non-emergency situations.
How does this work, where can I find one and what else do I need to know?
See also
What is a GP and when do you go to a GP?
You go to a General Practitioner (GP or family doctor) if you have physical or mental problems and also before you go to the hospital, especially in non-emergency situations. You can only consult a specialist, with a referral from a GP.
A GP-practice is often affiliated with several health services, e.g. physiotherapy or low-threshold psychological support by a practitioner.
When do you go to a GP and when do you go somewhere else?
In the Netherlands, medical care sometimes works differently than you are used to. In the Netherlands, medication, e.g. antibiotics, is written out much less quickly. It is normal to wait and see if something is bothering you first, many ailments will pass by themselves. If you have a cold, it takes on average a week before the virus is eliminated, regardless of whether you are taking any medication.
You don't have to see a GP for that. But if you find it disturbing, you should of course just contact a GP.
For simple medical problems, you can often also visit a pharmacy or drugstore (e.g. Kruidvat, Trekpleister, DA, Etos), which are experts in self-medication and can provide information about it.
A reliable website for information and advice on various complaints is thuisarts.nl or download the app "moetiknaardedokter".
What to expect of a GP?
Consulting a GP
A GP can be consulted by appointments which can be made by phone during consultation hours.
If you have (basic) Dutch health insurance, e.g. because you work here, then general practitioner care is always free of charge. In other cases, you pay the consultation fee in cash, but you can claim the expenses back from your insurance company (depending on your insurance).
Basic rules
- Sometimes it is not always possible to make an appointment on the same day; in that case you will need to make an appointment at a later date.
- If you have made an appointment and you decide not to come, or you are not able to come, please cancel your appointment! Sometimes, you have to pay if you don't show up at an appointment and you did not cancel it of canceled it too late.
- Please do not call the emergency number unless there is a real emergency (a life threatening event).
- If you call outside office hours, you will be referred to the Huisartsenspoedpost
- You might be asked to pay for the consultancy. You can claim these expenses from your health insurance.
- Make sure your health insurance is in order!
- To consult a medical specialist you will need a referral from a general practitioner.
If you want to know more about the Dutch healthcare system, please check the website Healthcare in the Netherlands.
Medical services other than GP
If your GP has referred you to a therapist, and you don't live in Tilburg, you may use the website Find a therapist. If you are looking for help or therapy in your own language, there is a large (online) offer on this site worldwide, but not in the area of Tilburg.
Where can I find a GP?
PrimaryCare for Internationals (PC4i)
As of Monday 15th of April 2024, general practitioner care for International students in Tilburg is offered by PrimaryCare for internationals (PC4i).
When to go to the general practitioner
Primary Care for Internationals (PC4i) is for temporary basic general practitioner care. Your questions are answered by phone. If you need a consultation in person, you will receive an appointment in Tilburg. If necessary, the general practitioner will refer you to other healthcare providers.
The general practitioner and assistants are used to working with patients from other cultural backgrounds. Contact by phone is possible in ten languages. In Tilburg, Dutch and English is spoken in the practice. Where necessary, use is made of a telephone interpreter or a translation app.
If you already have your own general practitioner, then naturally that is where you go.
Do you have a question for the general practitioner, or do you need medication?
You are status holder, international student or migrant worker
Always call first
- Leave your details, you will hear straight away when you will be called back.
- The assistant will contact you in your own language. This saves waiting time and telephone costs.
- The assistant will ask you to complete this registration form.
- The assistant will give you advice or schedule a consultation at the practice.
Opening hours
- Monday to Friday
- 08:00 - 17:00 hours
Any in-person consultations take place in Tilburg.
Upon arrival, you do NOT need to register, simply take a seat in the waiting room on the left. The general practitioner will call you.
It is NOT possible to receive help without an appointment.
Costs
Ask your insurer which costs are covered and how you can declare them.
Patients who do not have Dutch health insurance are requested to make an immediate payment via PIN at the medical practice. Depending on your insurance coverage, you may be able to declare the costs you have made. A consultation costs €78,25
Location
PrimaryCare for Internationals is located in Central Brabant (Tilburg). A general practice especially for temporary residents from abroad, living in Waalwijk, Heusden, Loon op Zand, Dongen, Gilze en Rijen, Tilburg, Oisterwijk, Goirle, Alphen-Chaam, Baarle-Nassau or Hilvarenbeek. Postal codes 5000 until 5254.
What can I do in case of an emergency outside office hours?
Emergencies
Off-campus: call 112.
Dutch police has released 112NL app for contact with emergency services. People in the Netherlands who cannot hear or speak well can now reach the 112 emergency control room via a smartphone app. The app is also suitable for people who do not master the Dutch or English languages. Download links: Google Play Store; Apple App Store
- On-campus: call +31 (0)13 - 466 2525.
- Telephone helpline for Tilburg University students who are experiencing personal, mental or emotional problems: call +31 (0)6 28771262, available on weekdays from 17:00 to 23:00 hrs and on Saturdays and Sundays from 08:00 to 23:00 hrs.
- If you are thinking about suicide and think you have no one to turn to, call 0800 - 0113 (free) or chat with 113 online (suicide prevention).
- You can contact the Listening Line day and night (anonymously and free of charge) for a conversation about anything that is bothering you: tel. 088 - 0767 000 or chat via the Listening Line.
- The emergency number of the crisis intervention team Tilburg is 0800 - 8013, available day and night for acute psychological emergency situations of someone around you (not if you are in an emergency situation yourself).
Huisartsenspoedpost
If there is no life-threatening situation, but you feel that a doctor should look into your medical complaints at short notice, you contact the Stichting Huisartsenposten Midden-Brabant, which consists of two emergency locations in the region of Midden-Brabant.
About 100 general practitioners work together to guarantee medical care at night, the weekend, and on official holidays. You can go to the emergency post for urgent general practitioner care, which cannot wait for the next consultation hour of your own general practitioner.
First of all, you must telephone: +31 (0)85 - 5360 300.
Please note: if you call the Huisartsen emergencypost ("spoedpost"), a nurse will first do a triage to determine if it is an emergency or not. If it's not, then you'll get some (self-help) advice (for example: just take a paracetamol or go to a doctor the next day). For this you will also receive a bill of at least €35!
Visiting address Huisartsenspoedpost
- Lage Witsiebaan 2a, 5042 DA Tilburg
