The Netherlands: mental health support abroad
Information about support for British nationals experiencing mental health difficulties in The Netherlands.
The Netherlands: mental health support abroad
Information about support for British nationals experiencing mental health difficulties in the Netherlands.
Contents
What to do in an emergency
Depending on the situation, you can:
-
call the emergency number 112 in case of life-threatening symptoms, such as shortness of breath or when someone is unconscious
-
call the emergency number 112 in case of external or self-danger
-
go to the nearest hospital emergency ward (in Dutch, ‘spoedeisende hulp’)
-
the accident and emergency (in Dutch ‘spoedeisende hulp’ or more commonly ‘A&E’) department of a hospital is meant for life-threatening situations requiring immediate specialist medical treatment.
Someone in an acute crisis may suffer from acute depression, delusions, panic attacks or suicidal behaviour, or act violently towards others. When resident in The Netherlands, if you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, contact your general practitioner (GP) (in Dutch, huisarts) immediately. The GP will contact the local crisis intervention team (available 24/7) if necessary.
Help from the British Embassy or Consulate
If you need support for mental health issues in The Netherlands but are not sure how to access it, contact the British Embassy.
Find out what help they can give you in a medical emergency abroad.
If you are experiencing mental health concerns during your stay in the Netherlands we can:
-
help you to contact friends and family members
-
help you to contact your GP in the UK
-
help local medical staff to contact your insurance company or medical staff in the UK who may be able to provide advice on your medical history
-
raise concerns you have about your treatment or welfare with the local authorities
-
provide information on local medical specialists that may be able to support you
-
give you information about local pharmacies
We cannot:
-
give you medical advice
-
buy or pay for your medication, medical bills or other expenses
-
provide formal translation or interpretation
-
get you better treatment in hospital than is given to local people
-
get you discharged from hospital
-
intervene in any local legal process resulting from a mental health emergency
-
pay for you to return to the UK
-
stop you being deported if the local authorities decide you must leave the country
Less urgent mental health support if you’re living in The Netherlands
Find out about accessing GPs (in Dutch, huisarts) and healthcare for UK nationals living in the Netherlands - GOV.UK.
If you have mental health problems you can get support online, from your GP (Huisarts in Dutch) or company doctor. They can provide treatment or refer you to other mental health professionals, depending on the nature of your problems and their complexity.
If your GP and general practice mental health worker consider your problems too complex to treat themselves, they may refer you to a primary mental healthcare provider, or directly to secondary care. Other medical professionals, like company doctors and paediatricians, can also refer to either service.
Primary mental healthcare providers treat mild to moderate mental health problems. Treatment may consist of:
-
counselling from a psychologist (in Dutch, psycholoog), psychotherapist (in Dutch, psychotherapeut) or psychiatrist (in Dutch, psychiater);
-
some form of online mental health support (e-health);
-
a combination of counselling and online support. For instance, you may have several sessions with a psychologist, or psychotherapist in addition to following an e-health programme.
Secondary mental health care is intended for patients with serious and complex psychiatric disorders, like ADHD, anxiety disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Treatment is provided by, for instance, a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist working in a mental health institution, hospital or private practice.
Children and adolescents up to the age of 18 with mental health problems are eligible for assistance from the paediatric mental health services (jeugd-GGZ). However, they first need a referral from a designated expert, such as their GP or a care professional employed by or acting on behalf of the local authority.
Paying for treatment: tourists and short-term visitors
Comprehensive travel insurance for your trip to The Netherlands is highly recommended. Make sure it includes the necessary cover to ensure you can get any mental health treatment you might need.
If you’re visiting The Netherlands for a short time and normally live in the UK with healthcare provided by the NHS you can use your European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) or Global Health Insurance Card (GHIC). You can find information about this and how to receive a ‘Provisionals Replacement Certificate’ (should you lose or not have your EHIC/GHIC) here: Applying for healthcare cover abroad (GHIC and EHIC) - NHS
You can use your card to get state healthcare that cannot wait until you come back to the UK (sometimes called ‘medically necessary healthcare’). This includes things like:
-
emergency treatment and visits to A&E
-
treatment or routine medical care for long-term or pre-existing medical conditions
-
routine maternity care, as long as you’re not going abroad to give birth
Read Netherlands travel advice - GOV.UK for details of getting and using your EHIC or GHIC.
Paying for treatment: Dutch residents
Read Healthcare for UK nationals living in the Netherlands - GOV.UK.
The Dutch government also has information on Health insurance
Prescriptions
You should contact a local psychiatrist (in Dutch, psychiater) to issue you a prescription for a mental health issue. Carrying a copy of your UK prescription can help Dutch doctors to find the same or similar medication.
You may have to pay something towards the cost of your prescription. If you have an EHIC or GHIC, this should be the same as a Dutch citizen.
As with your GP you will need to register with your local pharmacy (in Dutch, apotheek). Opening hours for pharmacies vary, but the address of the nearest out-of-hours pharmacy will be indicated on the door. You can also check the location of the nearest emergency pharmacy (only available in Dutch).
Compulsory hospitalisation
As in the UK, people with mental health needs may be hospitalised and detained without having given their consent, if they are deemed to be a danger to themselves or to others. In Dutch this is called crisismaatregel. This is comparable to the UK’s ‘sectioning’ procedure but there are also significant differences in procedure and law.
The Compulsory Mental Health Care Act (in Dutch, Wvggz) regulates the rights of people who have to deal with compulsory care because of a mental illness. You can find more information about the Compulsory Mental Healthcare Act here.
There are two procedures for achieving compulsory care they are: a crisis measure (in Dutch, crisismaatregel) via the mayor (in case of emergency) and then a healthcare authorisation (in Dutch, zorgmachtiging) through the court.
In the first instance where acute admittance is necessary, a crisis measure is initially 3 days. After 3 days, a judge will attend to assess whether the policies and procedures are being followed. If necessary, the judge will extend this to 3 weeks.
After the 3 weeks, if it is necessary, a healthcare authorisation can be authorised by the court for a maximum of 6 months.
Although the mayor, judge and the court are involved in these proceedings, they are not there for any criminal elements. The mayor and the judge are involved in these proceedings to ensure that the correct healthcare is in place and that policies and procedures are followed.
You can find more information on the procedure of a healthcare authorisation here
You can find more information on the procedure of a crisis measure here
Guardianship
Guardianship is a way of protecting someone who cannot properly manage their financial affairs, possessions and personal affairs. The judge will appoint a guardian to do this for them. A guardian will support or represent the person under guardianship during discussions with healthcare providers, practitioners or institutions.
You can find more information about this process on the Dutch Government website.
Return to the UK
Read guidance on returning to the UK in medical emergencies or hospitalisation abroad.
Repatriation to the UK is possible in many cases through a medical repatriation company. You can check the list of medical repatriation companies to get the support you need.
Costs would normally be covered by travel insurance or personal funds.
The British Embassy cannot arrange medical repatriation or pay for it.