The GP is broadly trained and has the role of gatekeeper within the healthcare system. This means that the GP, as part of the primary care, treats a large percentage of health-related complaints and diseases. This results in a reduction of the burden on more expensive, specialist care.

GP care offers a wide range of diagnostic, therapeutic and prevention-oriented interventions. The GP also guides people in dealing with diseases.

Optimal care for the patient naturally requires effective communication in which what the patient needs is synchronized with what the GP can and may offer. That is why attention is given to complaint, illness, diagnosis, treatment but also to questions, wishes, possibilities and preferences of the patient.

If the patient has symptoms of Covid-19, he should contact the GP immediately. Based on the current (test) policy, the GP will decide at that time in good consultation with the patient what are the next steps.

If the patient suddenly becomes ill and does not have Covid-19 symptoms, the patient should call the GP who evaluates whether it is necessary to make an appointment with the patient for further examination and/or treatment. If the sick patient has a planned appointment at the GP’s office, he should contact the GP who determines whether a visit is justified or not.

The GP’s offices make use of a mix of types of consultations to be able to offer optimal care. The developments regarding the coronavirus pandemic have an influence on how the consultations are organized. Regarding this, each GP’s office is responsible for informing the patient about any changes in a timely manner. Possible consultation options are: face-to-face, via telephone, home visits and video calls.

The triage is the procedure that is used within the GP’s offices to separate patient flows. The assistant helps the GP in this process and is competent to perform triage. The assistant also provides important support within the office to protect the privacy of patient information.

Separating patient flows is done by asking important questions to determine the level of urgency and proper treatment. The assistant does this based on good telephone triage. It determines the choice of the type of contact (physical, telephone, video calling) and in times of Covid-19 the ultimate goal is to prevent transmission of the virus in the office. This is done in close consultation with the GP and/or based on his/her instructions.

Click at the bottom of this page on the video “Triage HAVA video”, in which a few HAVA GP’s explain the triage procedure in more detail. Video in Papiamento.

Good accessibility means that the GP’s office can be easily reached by telephone during office hours. This means that the caller gets within a few minutes an assistant or an answer machine on the line providing the opening hours and information.

Note: every office has its own specific telephone accessibility, for example at one office the assistant will answer the phone between 8.00-10.00 am and 1.00-3.00 pm and at the other this is between 8.30-10.00 am and 1.30-4.00 pm.

Every office also has an emergency line, which of course should only be used for emergencies. Outside opening hours including weekends, there is always a GP on duty.

In connection with the coronavirus pandemic, extra measures are in force at the GP’s office. Patients are only allowed to visit the office if they do not have symptoms of Covid.

A number of offices have a door policy which means that only people with an appointment are allowed to enter the office. The pick-up of letters, prescriptions, etc. is arranged electronically as much as possible. The number of patients allowed in the waiting room is limited and if necessary, the assistant asks the patient to wait outside or in the car.

When setting up the waiting room, 1.5 meters of social distance is taken into account and the office strives for the shortest possible waiting time in this room. Wearing a face mask within the practice is mandatory.

The HAVA GP’s follow the guidelines of RIVM (National Institute for Public Health and the Environment) and NHG (Dutch Association of General Practitioners) for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) in their offices. As a preventive measure, PPE is used in all cases where there is contact with a patient. Patients must wear a face mask at all times in the office.

In most cases, the staff of a practice consists of (a) general practitioner(s), assistant(s) and nurse(s). So contact with the office can be with 1 of these staff members.

The GP is primarily the person who sees and examines the patient. The GP can delegate certain tasks to the nurse practitioner (FNP, also called the POH) or the assistant, but the GP remains ultimately responsible for the care of the patient.

The POH’s tasks can be differently organized per office. Possible tasks are guidance of patients with a physical chronic condition, such as diabetic mellitus, asthma/COPD and cardiovascular diseases. Guidance and treatment of patients with psychological, psychosocial or psychosomatic problems can also be part of the POH’s tasks.