What counts as an emergency?
An emergency concerns symptoms that arise suddenly and that cannot wait until the next day that your GP is available. If symptoms suddenly develop and rapidly get worse, then urgent care is necessary.
For example, your child might develop a high fever, may stop urinating or become unresponsive. Or perhaps you have a chronic illness and your symptoms suddenly worsen, or you become so short of breath that you can no longer walk or talk.
In other words, the symptoms arise suddenly, worsen rapidly or involve pain/shortness of breath that is unbearable.
When it comes to symptoms you’ve already had for a while, you should make an appointment with your own GP.
Please call first, because we can't help everyone
We receive a lot of phone calls.
Please note that the staff at the after hours GP clinic are only there for those who are in urgent need of care.
If the phone lines are continually kept busy by people with minor complaints, this means that others who really need urgent care will have to wait too long.
Therefore, please only call us in genuinely urgent circumstances.
Unsure whether a symptom is urgent?
If you are in pain, you could take a painkiller first and see how the pain progresses.
If you have a fever, take your temperature first.
At thuisarts.nl, you'll find a lot of information and possible explanations for a wide variety of disease symptoms. The texts on this website have been written by GPs, so they have been checked and are reliable.
This is useful if you don't need immediate care, but would like good advice or want to know what might be going on.
Different types of emergency
If you call first, we can determine how urgently you need to be examined or treated. The staff member will therefore ask you a number of questions to estimate the severity of your symptoms (and thus the degree of urgency). These include a few standard questions that we ask for verification purposes.
Based on this phone conversation, the staff member will provide you with a follow-up recommendation.
- What if your symptoms are urgent?
You will receive an appointment for a consultation at the after hours GP clinic.
It may also be necessary for the GP to visit you at home for a consultation. - And if your symptoms are not so urgent?
You will receive advice on how to care for yourself over the phone.
You can then contact your own GP the following business day, if necessary.
Appointments at the after hours GP clinic
Please note that appointment times are estimates. More urgent patients (those who more urgently require care) always have priority. This means that you may sometimes have to wait longer than expected.
Consultation with another GP
The consultation will not be with your own GP, and you cannot choose who helps you.
After all, your own GP cannot be available around the clock. However, your GP has made an agreement with the health insurer that you can count on receiving emergency care when necessary, and that’s why there is an after hours GP clinic.
Together with other GPs, your GP ensures that you can go to the after hours GP clinic if you urgently need care.