Each provider treats one part, yet nobody oversees the whole. You end up connecting appointments, tests, medicines and organisations yourself.
You may have a GP, one or more hospital specialists, a mental healthcare professional and support arranged through your municipality. Yet nobody seems to know exactly what the others are doing.
There may be a great deal of care on paper. In practice, you are the person forwarding results, spotting conflicting advice and checking whether a referral or follow-up actually happens. Care can then stall without any one organisation feeling responsible for the overall picture.
This does not mean that Dutch law gives everyone an automatic right to one named care coordinator in every situation. Roles differ between care settings. You can, however, ask for clarity, coordination and a named contact.
Individual mistakes happen. It becomes a care trap when the same pattern keeps repeating.
Each new professional starts again, although relevant information already exists elsewhere in your records.
Nobody discusses with you which recommendation takes priority or how treatments affect each other.
A referral, test result or discharge letter does not reach the next provider, or reaches them without anyone acting on it.
Different professionals prescribe medicines or treatments, but the combined effect is not considered.
Every organisation refers you elsewhere, and nobody can explain who is monitoring the next step.
You or a family carer keeps track of every name, action, deadline and missing piece — often when you are least able to do so.
Ask who coordinates the treatment plan, who your named contact is and how responsibilities are divided inside the organisation.
Ask which professional is overseeing the overall plan and how your GP, specialist and other providers will coordinate relevant information and actions.
Healthcare, municipal support, youth care and long-term care follow different Dutch routes. Independent client support can help you map the route and the organisations involved.
Your Dutch health insurer may use care mediation to help find timely insured care. That is different from clinical coordination of your treatment.
Record which action, handover or decision is outstanding and what the consequence is. This is more effective than only saying that “nobody is in charge”.
For each provider or organisation, write down why they are involved, which action is open and how they can be contacted.
Ask who monitors the overall treatment plan, who follows progress and who you should contact when different parts conflict.
This person does not always have to make every decision. It should nevertheless be clear who receives your question, follows it up and reports back.
You can ask whether a telephone consultation, multidisciplinary meeting or shared care plan would be appropriate. Your consent may be required before information is shared.
After a conversation, briefly summarise who will do what and by when. Ask to be corrected if your summary is inaccurate.
Seek help from the complaints officer or independent client support. If the problem concerns access or waiting time, ask your health insurer for care mediation.
“Who is overseeing the whole plan, who is my named contact, and who follows up when an agreed action is not completed?”
Subject: request for clarity about coordination and my named contact
I am currently receiving care from several healthcare professionals and/or organisations. It is not clear to me who oversees the overall plan or who is responsible for coordination between those involved. As a result, the following questions or actions remain unresolved:
[briefly describe what is not being followed up and the effect this is having]
Please confirm in writing:
If coordination between the professionals involved is needed, please tell me how this can be arranged and what consent you require from me.
Kind regards,
[name and, if appropriate, date of birth or patient reference]
You do not need to recreate your entire medical record. A list of open actions is often enough.
| Who? | Why involved? | Open action | Who will do it? | Update due |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Overview and referral | Discuss test result | To be agreed | — |
| Specialist | Test or treatment | Letter to GP | Outpatient clinic | — |
| Other organisation | Support | Follow-up appointment | Named contact | — |
If you have become the link between several professionals or organisations, your experience can help reveal where handovers and responsibility disappear. You may share it anonymously.
