You should first discuss a complaint about a doctor or other healthcare provider with that provider directly. For example, this could concern a complaint about a delayed diagnosis or about the treatment you received from your doctor. If you cannot resolve the issue together, you can reach out to your healthcare provider’s complaints officer.
Last updated on 17 January 2025
Discussing your complaint with the complaints officer
You should first discuss your complaint with your healthcare provider, such as your GP. You can also send a letter or email setting out your complaint.
If you cannot resolve the issue together, or if you would rather not (or no longer) discuss your complaint directly with your healthcare provider, you should contact the complaints officer who can discuss the matter with you (in Dutch). Ask your healthcare provider which complaints officer you should contact. The complaints officer is independent and will help you find a solution together with your healthcare provider. There is no charge for using the complaints officer’s services.
A response within six weeks
Your complaint will be handled within six weeks, with or without the help of the complaints officer. The healthcare provider may extend this period once by four weeks.
Other ways of filing a complaint
If you cannot reach a resolution with your healthcare provider or the complaints officer, you can take your complaint to court. However, there are also other options:
Every healthcare provider is affiliated with a dispute resolution body recognised by the Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport (in Dutch). A dispute resolution body (geschilleninstantie) is an alternative to taking the matter to court. It is quicker and cheaper. Ask your healthcare provider which dispute resolution body you should contact. You can often find this information on your healthcare provider’s website.
A dispute resolution body will examine your complaint and give a decision on it. The healthcare provider must comply with that decision. And so must you.
If you take your complaint to a dispute resolution body, you can no longer have the substance of that complaint reviewed by a court. The court will therefore not make a new decision and will, for example, only examine whether the dispute resolution body conducted the proceedings correctly, and whether the dispute resolution body’s decision was sufficiently substantiated.
You can also take a complaint about a healthcare provider to the Central Disciplinary Committee for the Healthcare Sector. This is only possible if the healthcare provider is listed in the BIG register. This applies to doctors, dentists, pharmacists, midwives, physiotherapists, healthcare psychologists, psychotherapists, physician assistants, general remedial educationalists, clinical technologists and nurses.
Find out what complaints you can submit to the Central Disciplinary Committee (in Dutch). An independent disciplinary complaints officer (in Dutch) can assist you with this.
National Healthcare Report Centre: assistance and advice on complaints
If you have a complaint about healthcare, you can also contact the National Healthcare Report Centre (Landelijk Meldpunt Zorg, LMZ). This report centre does not resolve complaints, but gives advice on what you can do about your complaint.
The National Healthcare Report Centre falls under the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate. They will register your complaint. Your complaint can therefore help to monitor healthcare providers.
Laws and regulations (in Dutch)
Wet kwaliteit, klachten en geschillen zorg
Wet op de beroepen in de individuele gezondheidszorg, artikel 65