You have a complaint about your GP practice. What now?

A good relationship between you and your counsellor is important. Sometimes, unfortunately, things happen that disrupt this relationship. You are dissatisfied, you have a complaint. This page provides information on what you can do if you have a problem with your GP practice. You can read about the options for resolving your complaint and how your complaint will be dealt with within DOKh's complaints procedure.

Coming out together

First, try to discuss and resolve the problem in a personal conversation with your GP. If this fails, your GP will put you in touch with DOKh's Complaints Officer. You can also contact DOKh directly yourself.

Complaint reception

DOKh's Complaints Officer is independent and will work with you to resolve your complaint. Within 1 week of your complaint becoming known to DOKh, the Complaints Officer will contact you. The Complaints Officer will try to mediate the complaint if you are open to doing so. Look for this link for more information.

Complaint mediation

Many complaints can be resolved in a (telephone) conversation. During mediation talks, you and your doctor will have the opportunity to explain the event(s). As mutual understanding grows, a workable situation often arises again. The ultimate goal of mediation is to restore the relationship between you and your doctor.

Judgement formulated by doctor

To complete the complaint process, the doctor is obliged to inform you of his/her opinion within six weeks of filing the complaint. An opinion means a written statement of what decisions he/she has taken about and as a result of the complaint and what measure(s), if any, will be taken. The six-week period can be extended by a maximum of four weeks, if you are informed in time.

If both parties are satisfied with the verdict, then this settles the complaint. If you are not satisfied and wish to continue the complaints procedure, this is a dispute. After the judgement, you have six months to decide whether you want to submit the dispute to the Disputes Authority.

Game rules

• Help from the Complaints Officer, complaint mediation and complaint handling are free of charge for you.
• Mediation is successful only when both parties agree on this.
• Mediation is based on mutual respect and trust.
• All those involved in the process treat your privacy with the utmost care and have a duty of confidentiality.
• The full complaints procedure can be downloaded below.

Are you unable to come to an agreement with the Complaints Officer?

If, despite the mediation talks, you cannot reach a solution, the Complaints Officer will support you in any next step. Your complaint then becomes a dispute. More information on the disputes committee is here find.

Visiting and postal address
DOKh Foundation
Ruby Street 6
1812 RB Alkmaar

Contact details
T 072 - 527 91 00 (Secretariat)
T 072 - 520 83 25 (Disputes and complaints procedure)
E secretariaat@dokh.nl
E klachtenengeschillen@dokh.nl

The DOKh secretariat can be reached on weekdays from 08.30 to 16.30 on the above phone number.