The Healthcare System in the Netherlands

Whether you recently arrived in the Netherlands or have been living here for some time already, you have probably heard negative comments on the health system around here. Most of us have had encounters with GPs that were not so pleasant… The joke of paracetamol as the only and ultimate cure is not even funny anymore.

When it comes to mental health, the complaints are not less in both quantity and absurdity. The waiting lists extend from 4 months up to a year in most places if you try to follow the protocoled path of:

appointment with GP – requesting (sometimes begging) for a referral and getting it denied because ‘you’re not bad enough’ – getting 4 or 5 sessions with the basic psychologist or mental health counselor of their practice – ending those sessions feeling like you need more – straight up begging for a referral for long-term specialized therapy – getting the referral, yay! – contacting a bunch of different institutions only to find out that you’re going to have to wait a year until you actually see a psychologist

During my five years working in the national healthcare system of the Netherlands, I saw a lot of people that really struggled through this process and often felt close to giving up on searching for help. The ones that managed and waited the long months on waiting lists, sometimes would end up realizing that that practice or practitioner was not the right fit for them. Thus, restarting the process all over again.

We’re hoping for a change; perhaps one that makes it easier for the incredibly competent foreign professionals to be included in the system and alleviate the pressure existing in Dutch institutions. But, in the meantime, let me also be grateful for the possibility of having my own practice and work as a clinical psychologist on my own terms.