An introduction to the Dutch healthcare system

This video is a part of a free online crash introduction to living in the Netherlands “Feeling at Home”. Learn more about building your life in the Netherlands: • Top tips for feeling a...
ABOUT THIS VIDEO:
Learn more about the Dutch healthcare system.
This video covers healthcare. The Dutch healthcare system is among the world’s best. Check out our top tips for accessing healthcare in the Netherlands, what to expect from your doctor, and how best to communicate your concerns with healthcare professionals.
//
IN Amsterdam (formerly Expatcenter Amsterdam) is the official government office providing a one-stop-shop service for international newcomers in the Amsterdam Area.
WEBSITE: inamsterdam.com
NEWSLETTER:
Subscribe to our newsletter for internationals in the Amsterdam Area www.iamsterdam.com/inamsterdam...
//
Municipality of Amstelveen
WEBSITE: www.amstelveen.nl/english

[@user-hs4ze4td4r]

Love the Netherlands but their healthcare could be better. German myself, I was most satisfied by the private system in Germany with 80% state subsidy that I benefitted from as the child of a teacher employed as such in the category of a "public official", and by the Swiss healthcare system. Both systems are not cheap. Especially the Swiss one is a burden on many with little income. But both left me much more satisfied than healthcare in the Netherlands. It's not that I crave antibiotics. In fact, I myself believe in immunity. As I'm from a region bordering the Netherlands, my values and ideas are not very different. But the problem with Dutch healthcare is that it's relatively difficult to get an appointment at the GP in reasonable time and that many GPs won't give you the medical checkups you need. Without an out-of-pocket ultrasound screening in Germany, I would never have found out about a gallstone with the Dutch system. And if you struggle with a GP for some reason, it may be difficult to find another one in your area. You will quickly end up feeling like you have to exaggerate your symptoms in order to get what you need and you may still not get it. Also, on some occasions, the Dutch system works very much with a one-treatment-fits-all approach. Paracetamol is not without side effects if you rely on it too much. I once had breathing issues in the Netherlands and got a diagnosis of asthma and was prescribed an asthma inhalation. Turns out that it was a mix of muscle tenseness, psychological conditions and climate factors that probably made these breathing issues so bad at the time and that the inhalation only worsened it in the end. German and Swiss doctors would realise the complexity of my health issues but Dutch doctors didn't. I also took notice of poor hygiene in Dutch clinics and witnessed how someone got very ill for many months due to an infection that was the result of lacking hygiene during a surgery. Of course, I may have been a bit unlucky with my personal experiences and impressions of Dutch healthcare, however, I have read into it and found that even experts criticise the Dutch system in comparison to for example the Belgian system, and that exactly in regard to issues I witnessed myself. I feel like the Dutch often don't want to see or admit the lacks of their healthcare but I would really advise them to do so. Even if means that more taxmoney has to be spent on Dutch healthcare, I would strongly advise the Netherlands to modify their system to one with a bigger focus on early diagnosis, proper hygiene, free choice of doctors, and personalised treatment. I'd understand if you'd remain careful to not overuse radioactive screenings, however, in many cases, there are so many ways to arrive at a solid diagnose with more harmless investigations.

[@ojgfhuebsrnvn2781]

The problem with Dutch healthcare that it is impossible to go to doctor since GP just send you home saying "come back if you feel bad" every time. And it's not only my opinion but htere is whole reddit and articles in different languages about it. My mother had thyroiud cancer when she was 8 and thyroid was removed complitely (not partially like it is done novadays). Since then she did checks up every 3-4 month for 40 years. She also had uterine cancer about 10 years ago. Her test results generally unstabble (generally very low calcium and high phosphorus). Because of war she is in Netherlands now and still wasn't able to see any doctor. GP did check only calcium level, it was low, prescribed calcium and said come back when you will feel bad. In the end she decided to go back to Ukraine just for check up.

[@srkzn5304]

Do you think healthcare in Ukraine is better than Netherland?

[@ojgfhuebsrnvn2781]

@@srkzn5304 I was writing big answer to you but unfortunately my browser restarted... Basically no, i think healthcare in Netherlands is much, much better but i don't like that being given paracetamol and sent home without normal check is COMMON occurance. It is running joke that in Netherlands paracetamol is the treatment for all deseases. "Lost your limb? Paracetamol. Come back if it will still bother you in a few month." For these 9 month i've met 2 people with small fracture on foot. One had to spend 1 month to be checked properly (she was sent home every time with words "nothing serious, come back if it will still bother you"), another one same story but she returned home. When you get to actual care, it is indeed great and i honestly like it, just this one problem of huisarts not taking things seriously as if their standart assumption is the most optimistic one.

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

​@@ojgfhuebsrnvn2781Well it's a poor joke, your outcomes are among the best in the world.

[@srkzn5304]

@@user-sf7kl9uh7k what do you mean by outcomes?

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

@@srkzn5304 Really?

[@williamgeardener2509]

The problem with Dutch healthcare is that GPs do not allow the patient to pick and choose their treatment, which is very offensive for people who just spend 2 hours googling their symptoms and they think that that outweighs the years of training that the GP had. In the Netherlands you get the treatment the GP knows you need, not the treatment you think you need. And that's a very bitter pill to swallow for some people.

[@understandingthenews8147]

good one :)

[@polaedward4579]

GPs usually Google your symptoms and show you the results. Anyway, in all cases, they do a very good job in not helping patients

[@williamgeardener2509]

@@polaedward4579 Don't know which GP you are visiting but mine doesn't need Google to come to a diagnosis.

[@polaedward4579]

@@williamgeardener2509 not only my doctor, but this happened with many people I know from different countries, and different backgrounds. I even had a colleague who left the Netherlands because he was worried about the very low level of medical awareness that his little daughter's doctor had. Anyway, what I am trying to say that there's a lot of people who are really suffering because of doctors and the whole medical system, and denying this issue because it didn't happen with you or within your circle doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. To emphasize how big the problem is, a train driver once told me that there's a person killing him/herself almost every week, and a friend told me they are in a year long queue to see a specialist. The health system needs serious fixes.

[@williamgeardener2509]

@@polaedward4579 Sure, must be why the Dutch medical care is praised as one of the best in the world, year after year. You can search for it yourself, I presume. If not: Oh, dear. How sad, too bad, never mind.

[@tedb3966]

As an American, please be grateful for your system. Ours is driven solely by profit and couldn’t care less if we go bankrupt.

[@garysquarepants898]

Yeah, cannot choose between a Healthcare that destroys physically or financially. I am considering moving either way :D Doctors should be doctors and not "rely on the ability of your body to heal itself", otherwise we wouldn't need freaking doctors at all, would we? It's basically being a thief with a degree to say people they are fine when you are supposed to listen and make sure they are. Occasionally when symptoms get bad because of the doctor not giving it the proper attention, they determine a bad course of life for the unfortunate people that were under their "cures". I had belly ache for 2 years, they kept saying random things, and not testing me for anything; i went to my own Country, test for intolerances, turns out i was destroying my belly because i was ignoring that i developed intolerance to many common eaten foods. If it was for them, i would be in way worse conditions, instead, thanks to ME, i am fine. So my body was telling my brain that something was wrong, the dutch doctor was telling my brain that my body was ok, without asking those body parts properly. So, dunno man, definitely the US has a problem, but other Countries have it too.

[@user-sf7kl9uh7k]

​@@garysquarepants898Loose weight

[@GilbertTang]

Some clips still in log.

[@deathwatch1980]

so this it not how healthcare in done in other countries? whats the system there then?

[@jannetteberends8730]

The video is meant for expats. The health system they are used to wil differ from country to country.

[@garysquarepants898]

Other healthcare systems have GPs that involve extensive lab tests to make sure that the symptoms are not hiding anything serious. In NL, it feels like there are just too many ppl and the doctors work to have less sick people and higher number of hard working healthy people, until they get sick and substituted. At least, this is my feeling after being in NL for quite some years.

[@jannetteberends8730]

The gp assistants knows really a lot. I think half of my problems I solve with them.

[@BrazenNL]

Yeah, they're not secretaries. They can even prescribe medication.

[@mhayecajipo2357]

Thanks for the video it help me a lot.

[@GerbenDub]

This is what I miss in Ireland, In Ireland, you will be offered a full blood (bullshit) check and get a bucket of antibiotics for a cough.

[@videojeroki]

i never heard someone saying " oh you what? yesterday, my GP helped me get better!"

[@liulo823]

Their medical system is not good at all, often misdiagnosed and delayed treatment, leading to mild cases becoming severe.the only good part is free for children.

[@abbofun9022]

Nonsense, that only happens when you ‘lie’ to your GP. The occasional mistake can and will happen but that is not unique to NL, and you will not be subject to unnecessary dangerous ‘treatments’ for profit reasons.

[@liulo823]

@@abbofun9022 r u sure? Hope u won't have many bad experiences when u grow old. Actually u won't even know if they made mistakes before. Because they won't admit it.

[@abbofun9022]

@@liulo823 , system is not flawless and of course mistakes are made. But stats show Dutch system works very well in general compared to rest of world. Anyways, tell me the country where medics are transparent about their mistakes.

[@liulo823]

@@abbofun9022 exactly, no perfect system, but the dutch system's problem is also true, they wait the problem becoming worse then send u to the real doctor.

[@abbofun9022]

@@liulo823 like a GP, who solves about 90% of all health issues, is not a real doctor. They have the hardest job of them all. If needed they will reroute you. Hardly ever that is too late. Better and more efficient system than to inundate specialists with minor thingies. Again, stats and international comparisons prove that it works.