Your family doctor is the first contact when in need of healthcare provision. You can go to them with medical, psychological and social questions, for example stress (related to study), psychological complaints, sport injuries, fatigue and STD’s. Your doctor can then, if necessary, refer you to the right healthcare professionals nearby.
Sign in at a doctor’s practice nearby
It is useful and important that you have a doctor nearby your home address/city that you study in, because that’s where you spend most of your days. A lot of complaints and issues arise very suddenly and it’s in your best interest that you can get help immediately. It also means you don’t have to travel to your parents’ home and visit their doctor, which saves you a lot of trouble and time. For the doctor it’s also preferable to have their patients nearby, since that means they are more approachable. All questions are valid, ranging from concerns to emergencies. If you’ve signed in at a doctor’s practice nearby, you can often make an appointment on very short notice so that you can get the care you need.
When choosing a doctor, it is useful to know if there’s a general practice-based nurse specialized in mental healthcare (Praktijk-Ondersteuner Huisarts Geestelijke GezondheidsZorg) appointed to the practice. If there is, you can get immediate help for complaints like stress, fear of failure and depression, without having to use your excess.
Find a doctor’s practice nearby:
Doctor’s office: first aid
With immediate healthcare questions you can call your doctor’s practice during day hours (08.00-17.00). During night hours, weekends and holidays, you can contact the doctor’s office. A specially trained professional will give you the medical advise you need. He or she will ask you certain questions and determine if you need immediate help. They’ll tell you how urgent your healthcare question is, what you can do yourself and if you should contact your local doctor’s practice. If necessary, you’ll be invited to visit the doctor’s office for a consultation. Examples are a sprained ankle during workout, a head wound, acute stomach pains not responding to painkillers or acute psychological problems. At the doctor’s office you’ll be treated in order of urgency, not in order of who came in first. A general doctor will take a look at you and if necessary will refer you to an emergency post at a local hospital.
Keep the following in mind:
- You should always call to see if it is necessary to visit the doctor’s office.
- The doctor’s office is not cost-free. A visit to the doctor’s office will cost you far more than a visit to your local practice will.
- Unnecessary visitations to the doctor’s office can cost you a lot on long term.
- The doctor’s office is only meant for health care questions with urgency.
For more information, take a look at the doctor’s office Utrecht website: