This is how you make an appointment with the general practitioner at Fonkelzorg International.

Together with the medical assistant, we look at where there is room for you to be seen by the general practitioner as soon as possible. So you can choose your own practice, but then we do have to check whether an international doctor is there to see you. Is there a medical reason why you need to be seen quickly? Then you get the general practitioner and location where we have a spot for you soonest.

We would like to know who you are, so we can offer better care. If something is bothering you, your medical history helps us to better understand what it could be.

You are not required to fill in the basic medical record, but we strongly recommend it.

That is what we aim for. But it is also important for our medical assistants and doctors to go on vacation, have a day off or sometimes be sick themselves. Then there is a chance that you cannot speak your own language during that period. There is always an option to speak English 😊. It is also possible to arrange an interpreter yourself.

If you live within 15 minutes of one of our practices, we register you as a regular patient. If you live more than 15 minutes away, we register you as a visiting patient. Medically, this makes no difference. In both cases you can count on good and careful general practitioner care. It is a different type of registration, so that we can also help you well outside the 15 minutes.

We believe that good care starts with understanding each other well. It can happen that the employee who speaks your language is not there when you call for an appointment. Our employees can also be sick or have a day off. We always do our best to help you as well as we can, but care in your own language is not guaranteed.

We understand that healthcare in the Netherlands works differently from what you may be used to. 😊 In the Netherlands you always go to the general practitioner first. You cannot go to the hospital on your own. A visit to the general practitioner is paid from your basic health insurance and so costs no extra money. For extra tests or a referral to the hospital, you have to pay part of the costs yourself (your deductible, "eigen risico"). The general practitioner looks at what is going on and helps you further. Sometimes you are referred to a specialist in the hospital, but only if that is really needed. We only do extra tests if there is a good medical reason for them. We follow the NHG guidelines for this. We usually do not do routine checks (such as a yearly check or blood test) if you have no symptoms or risk factors. If you have symptoms or concerns, we are of course happy to look together at whether extra tests are needed. You can then make an appointment through the patient portal or by phone. For more information, also see https://fonkelzorginternational.nl/.

Yes, you can, depending on your travel time to one of our practices. If you live or work in Central or East Brabant, there is a good chance that you can register with us. Do you live further away? Then ask your employer to contact us, so we can see if we can work together.

In the Netherlands you cannot go directly to the hospital. You always start with a visit to your general practitioner (huisarts). The GP discusses with you what kind of care is best for you. Sometimes this means that you have to go to the hospital. In other cases it is better to solve it together with the GP. It always starts with a phone call to your GP to make an appointment.

Please note: the hospital costs money (depending on your insurance), with Dutch health insurance you pay nothing for the general practitioner.

Yes, that is possible! Especially if you live further away, it is not always easy to come to the practice. In many cases we then have a video call. Just give us a call and we will explain how it works.

In the Netherlands it is common to call first to schedule an appointment. During this call the medical assistants decide whether you need to come in. Sometimes they can already help you on your way by phone. It is not possible to come in without an appointment. Is your situation life-threatening? Then call 112.