Requesting a second opinion feels to many women like a vote of no confidence in their GP. It is not. Since 1 April 1995 the WGBO has set out your patient rights in the Netherlands, and the opinion of a second doctor is simply part of them (Rijksoverheid, 2026).
The barrier is almost never legal. It is social. You do not want to spoil the mood, so you wait out one more appointment, and then another.
Below is the route without the padding: what your right is, how you arrange it, what it costs, and when switching GP is reasonable. Why women's complaints are more often left sitting is in the women's health gap: why symptoms are missed.
Do you have a right to a second opinion?
Yes. The WGBO gives you a right to clear information, to see your medical file, to a copy of it, and to the opinion of another doctor. For that second opinion you ask your treating doctor for a referral, and they are expected to cooperate, unless they have serious objections (Rijksoverheid, 2026).
The WGBO sits in the Dutch Civil Code, in articles 7:446 through 7:468. It is not a complaints procedure and not a last resort. These are the ground rules of every treatment relationship in the Netherlands.
For how it feels, this is the point that matters: asking for a second opinion is not a verdict on your GP. Doctors put cases to each other every day. The Dutch medical association KNMG calls cooperating with a second opinion a matter of respecting your autonomy, not a favour.
There is a limit, though. Putting the same question to a fifth doctor falls outside the intent, and then a doctor may refuse a referral.
How requesting a second opinion works, step by step
Requesting a second opinion starts with one sentence in the consulting room: you ask your GP or specialist for a referral to a colleague. Then you book with that second doctor, and your records travel with you. Afterwards you come back to your own doctor for what happens next.
That last step is often forgotten. A second opinion is not a transfer. The second doctor takes a look and gives a view, your treatment stays with your own doctor.
| Step | What happens | What you usually pay |
|---|---|---|
| 1. You ask for it | You say in the appointment that you want a second opinion, and ask for a referral | GP care sits outside the eigen risico |
| 2. Referral to a specialist | Your doctor writes the referral letter, with the question you want answered | No separate cost |
| 3. Your file travels along | Your doctor forwards your records, so tests are not repeated needlessly | Your first own copy is free |
| 4. Appointment with the second doctor | They reassess your diagnosis or the proposed treatment | Specialist care counts toward your eigen risico (385 euro in 2026) |
| 5. Back to your own doctor | You discuss the outcome and what happens now | GP care, so no eigen risico |
Thuisarts.nl, the patient site of the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG), singles out step 3: it matters that your doctor passes on all of your records to the other doctor. So ask about that explicitly.
Sharpen your question too. Not "I want a second opinion", but "I want someone else to look at whether my cycle complaints and my fatigue belong together". A referral letter with a concrete question gets a more concrete answer.
What does it cost and is a second opinion covered?
With a valid referral, basic insurance usually covers a second opinion from a medical specialist. There is one catch: that care counts toward your eigen risico, which is 385 euro in 2026. A second opinion from a GP falls under GP care, and you pay no eigen risico for that (Rijksoverheid, 2026).
That difference matters in practice. If you have not used up your eigen risico that year, a specialist second opinion can cost you a few hundred euros. Stay with a second opinion from a GP, and that amount stays at zero.
Without a referral it gets messy. Many insurers only reimburse a second opinion when a referral exists, and without that letter the bill can land with you. So call your insurer before you book, because policies differ per insurer and per year.
Children under 18 have no eigen risico. For them, a referral usually means no extra costs.
How reimbursement works for blood testing itself is a separate matter. We explain that in are hormone tests covered by insurance.
How do you get a copy of your medical file?
You have a right to see your medical file and to a copy of it. You do not have to give a reason, and that first copy is free (Rijksoverheid, 2026). Ask in writing or through the patient portal, bring your ID, and expect a wait of up to one month (GDPR, article 12(3)).
That right sits in article 7:456 of the Dutch Civil Code, part of the WGBO. Your file is kept for at least 20 years, counted from the last change. So that appointment from 2019 is still in there.
Why this matters for a second opinion: your file holds the values and the conclusions the second doctor builds on. Reading along yourself helps too. Sometimes you see that a complaint you have raised for three years was written down once.
That is not a reproach to a practice. An appointment lasts about ten minutes on average, and ten minutes hold very little text. That is exactly why your own copy is so usable.
Picture this: you are 44, you have been in four times this year with fatigue and an irregular cycle, and the answer each time was "your blood is normal". In your file you can read which blood that was. Sometimes only a haemoglobin and a TSH are listed, and then you know exactly which question to bring.
When is looking for another GP reasonable?
Switching GP is always allowed: you have free choice of doctor and you need no permission from your old practice. It becomes reasonable mainly when the fit is structurally missing, when you have moved, or when you notice you no longer get to tell your story. Talking first often gets you further.
Thuisarts advises discussing a dissatisfied feeling with the GP first. Most GPs would rather hear it than have you leave quietly. If you cannot work it out together, an independent complaints officer is available.
If you do go looking for another GP, the route is short. You register with a practice that has room, you show ID once, and you give permission to transfer your file. Under the 2020 KNMG guidance, your old GP sends that file securely to your new one.
One nuance that rarely gets mentioned: many practices in the Randstad have a patient stop. Switching GP is a right, not a guarantee of a spot around the corner. So call around before you deregister.
If you mainly feel unheard, rather than wrongly treated, look at the conversation itself first. In preparing for your GP appointment you can read how to present your complaints so they get investigated. If no cause was ever found, SOLK: what the diagnosis means helps you place that label.
What we keep noticing: a second opinion lands better when something tangible is on the table. If you want to bring data to your GP, you can have your hormones measured and take the result to the appointment. That does not replace your GP, it gives your conversation a starting point. Which values are worth discussing and when is in hormone testing in women.
Your next step, very concretely: put your question on paper in one sentence, ask for a referral at your next appointment, and request your file at the same time.
References
- Rijksoverheid. How do I get a second opinion in healthcare? Accessed July 2026. rijksoverheid.nl
- Rijksoverheid. What are my rights and duties in medical treatment? WGBO, Dutch Civil Code articles 7:446 to 7:468, in force since 1995. Accessed July 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. Do I have a right to a copy of my medical file? And: How long is my medical file kept? (retention 20 years). Accessed July 2026.
- Rijksoverheid. When do I pay an eigen risico for my care? Eigen risico 2026: 385 euro, GP care exempt. Accessed July 2026.
- KNMG. Does my patient have a right to a referral for a second opinion? Accessed July 2026. knmg.nl
- KNMG. Guidance on transferring the patient file when changing GP. 2020.
- Thuisarts (NHG). Complaints about the GP. And: Can I ask for a second opinion? Accessed July 2026. thuisarts.nl
- Patiëntenfederatie Nederland. Patient rights and second opinion. Accessed July 2026. patientenfederatie.nl
- Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens. Right of access, one-month response term (GDPR article 12(3)). Accessed July 2026.
Every blood test result at Lunara includes a professional assessment by a BIG-registered doctor. For treatment decisions, discuss your results with your GP.
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