Picture a chalet in the mountains on Christmas Eve. Outside snow is falling while inside a crackling fire warms the cozy living room and the beginnings of a festive meal bubble away on the stove. Then your daughter complains of an earache...
This is what happened to us during our winter break a few weeks ago. After some frantic searching we thankfully found a doctor who could see her and all ended well. Thanks to the doctor of course but also in no small part thanks to the pizza delivery guy who cheered everyone up with a large freshly baked Margherita.
As most of you with small children know, they tend to get sick when you least expect it and when most doctor's offices are closed. When this happens in Amsterdam this is what you can do:
Huisartsenpost
In Dutch a GP is called a "huisarts". Your GP's office will be closed in the evening (generally after 17:00h or 18:00h), on the weekends and during public holidays. They may have a recorded message giving you a number that you can call. That will likely be the number of the Huisartsenpost of the region in which you live. The Huisartsenpost is a regional care center in which several doctors work together. They provide medical care outside of regular business hours and during public holidays.
The central phone number of the Huisartsenpost in Amsterdam is: 088-0030-600.
The Huisartsenpost for Amstelveen can be reached at: 020-456-2000.
In a life threatening situation however, always call 112. This is the general emergency number and it is free of charge.
When you call the Huisartsenpost, you will get a trained assistant on the phone who will ask you questions about the illness. She or he will decide whether it is necessary for you to visit the Huisartsenpost. You cannot simply go the Huisartsenpost. You really need an appointment. They will let you know the address.
In my (limited) experience you should relay and emphasize any and all worries that you may have over the phone. The triage assistant can be very selective and strict. Remember that they are used to Dutch people plainly stating the facts of the situation without using euphemisms. This is not the time to minimize the situation or express yourself diplomatically.
Always bring your ID and your insurance card with you if possible. If you have it, please bring an overview of the medication the sick person takes.
Costs
This is not at all my area of expertise but as far as I understand, everyone in The Netherlands is legally obligated to take out health insurance. You may have to pay the consultation fee of the Huisartsenpost on the spot but your Dutch health insurance should cover those costs and should reimburse you. If you are not insured you have to pay the costs yourself.
Consultation fees are fixed and are established each year by the Nederlandse Zorg Autoriteit (NZA) which is a Dutch healthcare authority.
According to the website of the Huisartsenpost Amsterdam, as of February 1, 2020 these fees are:
Consult at the Huisartsenpost: €155,01
Visit by the doctor to your home € 232,51
Telephone consult € 25,00
Note that calling the Huisartsenpost will cost € 25,00 even if you do not see a doctor so the call is not free. The costs of the call should be covered by Dutch Health insurance. Standard Dutch health insurance generally also covers hospital treatment but sometimes paying a deductible may be necessary. Medications and certain tests may fall under the deductible. Please check your health insurance plan to find out what costs are covered.
Can the doctor come to my apartment?
That is only possible when the triage assistant deems it medically necessary but, in my very limited experience, it can be rather difficult to get the doctor to come.
When I had a 41degree fever for several days, eight weeks after giving birth by c-section, had trouble breastfeeding and could not walk, talk much or concentrate, the triage assistant decided that this was not enough for the doctor to come to my apartment. One day and a lot of insisting later, the doctor came and I had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance with threatening sepsis.
This may just have been bad luck though and hopefully this kind of thing does not happen often. I just do not know.
Not having access to transport in and of itself is not a reason for the doctor to come to your apartment.
If you need medicine after hours
There will be a pharmacy open in Amsterdam outside of business hours. According to the FBA website (the FBA is an organisation for pharmacies in Amsterdam), 6 pharmacies in Amsterdam will be open in the evening, on weekends and on public holidays. After 23:00h there is 1 night pharmacy open at the OLVG West hospital.
A pharmacy open outside of regular business hours is called a "dienst apotheek". To get medication at one of these "dienst apotheken" you need a prescription from a doctor. Prices are higher than at a pharmacy that is open during business hours. You may have to pay upfront. Depending on which Huisartsenpost you visit, the pharmacy might be right there or at another location in the city. The Huisartsenpost will give you the necessary information.
You can also check online which pharmacy is open at www.fbadam.nl. Click on "Apotheek nodig" Then click on "Buiten Kantooruren". Then scroll down to the heading: "Avonden, nachten, weekenden en feestdagen". You will find a list of 6 pharmacies. I would give the pharmacy a call before you go as I do not know how up to date the website's information is.
Emergency Room
If you believe that you or your child needs immediate medical attention, then you can go to an emergency room. Check what the nearest emergency room is to your location. I have been to the one at the OLVG West hospital with my daughter twice after accidents on the playground. They were very kind and we did not have to wait long at all.
When in doubt as to whether you need to go to an emergency room (and you can wait), you can call the Huisartsenpost who will assess the situation and tell you what to do.
Ambulance
If you need an ambulance, you call the general number for emergencies: 112.
The person answering your call will guide you through some questions and will ask for your address and personal information.
When in doubt...
So what do you do if if the triage assistant for the Huisartsenpost has decided that your situation does not warrant a visit to the Huisartsenpost, but you still feel like you urgently need to see a doctor?
This is a personal decision and by no means professional advice, but I would just go to the emergency room and explain the situation. Especially with children.
In the end, the triage assistant will try her/his best to assess the situation but she or he is not there and does not know you or your child so when in doubt, I would always rather be safe than sorry and head to the emergency room.
That said, I have not had to do this and I do not know what will or can happen if the emergency room staff thinks that you had no reason to come. I can hardly imagine however that they would turn a very sick and worried person away especially if the sick person is a child.
The IAmsterdam website does state that if you go to the emergency room for treatment that normally would be provided by a GP, this will likely result in having to pay out of your health insurance's deductible ("eigen risico").
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