Huisarts vs. Consultatiebureau in Leiden
Who to contact for illness, prescriptions, preventive checks and the routine 14-month MMR vaccination.
If you grew up with a paediatrician who handled everything from vaccinations to ear infections, the Dutch split between huisarts and consultatiebureau can feel complicated. The huisarts is your usual contact for illness and prescriptions; JGZ provides preventive checks and RVP vaccination invitations. They may refer or coordinate care when needed. This is a practical decoder for international families in Leiden: who to call, how to follow the invitation for the 14-month MMR, and how to find an English-speaking practice.
Last updated: 14 October 2026
Two services, one child
The huisarts (GP) is your usual contact for illness, prescriptions and urgent medical questions. The consultatiebureau, part of JGZ (youth healthcare), provides preventive care, growth and development checks, and invitations for the national vaccination programme (RVP). Their roles can overlap, and they may refer or coordinate care when needed.
For international families, knowing the usual route helps: contact your huisarts about an ear infection or other illness, and follow your local JGZ invitation for the routine 14-month MMR (BMR). If you are unsure where a question belongs, ask either service to help you find the right contact.
Who to contact — the usual routes
These are the usual starting points for common questions. The huisarts and JGZ may refer or coordinate care when needed; ask them if you are unsure which service to contact.
Huisarts (GP)
- Illness: colds, coughs, ear infections, fevers, rashes that need diagnosis
- Prescriptions: medicines when medically needed, such as antibiotics or asthma inhalers
- Referrals: to specialists (pediatrician, ENT, dermatologist) when needed
- Urgent medical questions: "Should we go to A&E?" "Is this normal or worrying?"
- Travel vaccinations and non-RVP vaccines (e.g., flu shot if recommended by GP)
Consultatiebureau (JGZ)
- Preventive care: weighing, measuring, growth curves, development monitoring
- Van Wiechen checks: structured developmental milestones (motor skills, communication)
- National vaccinations (RVP): MMR, DKTP-Hib-HepB, pneumococcal, meningococcal, rotavirus
- Health questions between visits: sleep, feeding, developmental worries (phone or chat)
- The Groeiboek (growth record): used for JGZ appointments and development records
The consultatiebureau is free and universal; the huisarts is covered by your Dutch health insurance (basisverzekering). Both are essential, and neither replaces the other.
The questions that confuse everyone
These are the scenarios that trip up internationals most often — when the boundary between huisarts and consultatiebureau isn't obvious.
My child has a fever — who do I call?
Call your huisarts for advice about fever or other illness. Outside your practice's opening hours, contact the huisartsenpost for urgent concerns that cannot wait until it reopens (see below). Call 112 for a life-threatening emergency.
Can the huisarts give the 14-month MMR?
The routine RVP schedule offers the first MMR (BMR) at 14 months. Follow the invitation and contact details from your local JGZ. If an invitation is missing or you are unsure where to go, contact JGZ or ask your huisarts to help you find the right service.
My child isn't talking yet — who do I ask?
Start with the consultatiebureau. Development questions (speech, motor skills, social interaction) are part of JGZ's preventive care, and they track your child's development over time. If there are concerns, they may offer support, refer or coordinate with your huisarts. Your huisarts can also advise.
We're traveling abroad — who gives travel vaccines?
Ask your huisarts or a specialised travel clinic about travel vaccinations. JGZ invitations cover the routine RVP schedule; for vaccines needed for a trip, check which service can provide them and confirm insurance cover beforehand.
Can the consultatiebureau prescribe paracetamol syrup?
For advice about paracetamol or other medicines, contact your huisarts or pharmacist. They can check what is suitable for your child and whether a prescription is needed.
What if I need a referral to a pediatrician?
For an illness that may need specialist care, start with your huisarts, who can assess your child and arrange a referral when needed. JGZ can also refer or coordinate care for concerns identified during preventive checks. Ask the team assessing your child which route fits the concern.
After 17:00 and weekends: the huisartsenpost
For urgent, non-life-threatening care outside your huisarts's opening hours, call Huisartsenposten De LIMES on 088 427 4700. This is the after-hours GP service for Leiden, Leiderdorp and Alphen aan den Rijn. Call first: triage staff decide whether you need an appointment and tell you which location to attend. Call 112 for a life-threatening emergency.
Leiden huisartsenpost details
- Attend only the location De LIMES gives you after telephone triage
- Phone: 088 427 4700 (outside your own huisarts's opening hours)
- Triage by phone first — they decide if you need to come in, or if advice over the phone is enough
- Covered by your health insurance (same as regular huisarts visits)
When to call the huisartsenpost
- After 17:00 on weekdays, all day Saturday and Sunday, and public holidays
- For urgent issues that can't wait until the next morning: high fever, persistent vomiting, breathing difficulty, worrying rashes
- NOT for routine questions or repeat prescriptions — those wait until regular hours
- NOT for life-threatening emergencies — call 112 for those
English-speaking huisarts practices in Leiden
Not every Leiden GP practice advertises English fluency, and availability changes often, so always confirm when you register that English consultation is available.
Find an English-speaking huisarts
Search toolsUse huisartsenzoeker.nl or zorgkaartnederland.nl to find practices near your address that are accepting new patients, then call and ask whether English consultations are available. Practices near Leiden University and the LUMC are used to international families.
Ask other international families
Word-of-mouthLeiden expat groups (e.g., Leiden Expat Families on Facebook) are a reliable source for current recommendations. Practices change staff, and fluency varies by doctor within a practice, so fresh word-of-mouth is often more accurate than published lists.
Registration note
- Huisarts practices have catchment areas — you must live within their assigned zone to register
- Some practices are full and have waiting lists; register as soon as you have a Leiden address
- You'll need your BSN, proof of address, and Dutch health insurance to complete registration
Useful links
- Consultatiebureau decoded guide — the full JGZ walkthrough
- CJG Leiden — contact for consultatiebureau appointments (088 254 23 84)
- Huisartsenposten De LIMES — urgent after-hours GP care (088 427 4700); call first
- De LIMES — telephone triage and the location assigned for your appointment
- Zorgkaartnederland.nl — search and compare huisarts practices by rating
- Leiden Expat Families (Facebook) — for current GP recommendations
- First 90 days in Leiden guide — the full administrative sequence
About this guide
This guide is for general information and reflects how the huisarts and consultatiebureau systems work in Leiden as of mid-2026. It is not medical advice, and Teddy Kids is a daycare provider, not a healthcare provider — we cannot diagnose, prescribe, or give medical guidance. For any question about your child's health, illness, or development, consult your own huisarts or consultatiebureau, who know your child and can advise you directly. Practice details (English fluency, registration availability) change over time, so always confirm directly with the practice when registering.