Medical disclaimer: what do you need to know before you register with us?
Great that you may choose us as your general practitioner (huisarts). Please do read the medical disclaimer below, so you know what we can and cannot do for you.
In short
The most important points
at a glance.
Usual practice
General practices in the Netherlands work with a service area of 15 minutes around the practice, so that in an emergency we can be with you within 15 minutes.
Fonkelzorg International does it differently
We deviate from the national guideline for accessibility of 15 minutes travel time. We make this choice deliberately, because we believe that this way we can offer better and more personal care. That is why patients can come to Fonkelzorg International with a travel time of up to a maximum of 45 minutes.
How is this workable?
We employ staff who speak different languages. You drive a little longer for it, but the mutual understanding is so much higher that the quality of care is better.
Fonkelzorg does it differently
You are welcome with us, even with more than 15 minutes travel time.
We see a social problem in the Netherlands and we are happy to contribute to a solution. International patients often find it hard to get a place with a general practitioner. Practices are full, and because of language and cultural differences the care does not always fit well.
That is why we had a quality study carried out. It shows that the quality of care improves when language and cultural barriers are removed, even if the distance to the practice is slightly more than 15 minutes. For that reason we deviate from the 15-minute guideline, deliberately and with stated reasons.
At Fonkelzorg International we have staff who speak several languages, including English, Polish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Spanish. As a result, patients understand better what is going on and we can offer care that is clear and personal. We also make sure there is room to take on new patients.
Because there are few general practices in the Netherlands that can offer care in several languages, the travel distance to Fonkelzorg International is sometimes longer than 15 minutes. For international patients we accept a travel time of up to a maximum of 45 minutes. One principle always remains leading: the quality of care. If the distance is too great to provide responsible care, then unfortunately registration cannot take place.
Usual practice
In case of an emergency...
If you live or work outside a radius of 15 minutes from one of our locations, we cannot always be with you in time in an emergency. In that case you call our emergency line. If necessary, we call in an ambulance immediately, so that you get to the emergency room as quickly as possible.
Do you agree to this? Then you can register with us.
How is this workable
Together we make sure it works.
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 (passant). Medically, this makes no difference. In both cases you can count on good and careful general practitioner care. It is a different form 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 staff member who speaks your language is not present when you call for an appointment. Our staff can also be sick or have time off. We always do our best to help you as well as possible, but care in your own language is not guaranteed.
Also important
The medical intake.
After registration we have a short phone call for a medical intake.
We do not know you and your medical history (yet). That means we are automatically less able to help you than someone about whom we already know everything. In the Netherlands we often get medical records forwarded by the previous general practitioner, but for patients from abroad that system does not exist.
That is why we call you for a medical intake with us. This way we already get to know each other a little better and we can help you better when it is really needed.
