Mental health access & waiting times
Mental health waiting lists — how to get help faster.
Waiting for mental health care in the Netherlands can take more than a year. There are steps you can take to shorten your wait — or to start sooner via an alternative provider.
Background
The waiting list problem in Dutch mental health care is structural and has two main causes:
- Capacity shortage. There are insufficient trained mental health professionals to meet demand. This is particularly true for the diagnosis and treatment of ADHD in adults.
- Contract caps. Health insurers contract mental health providers for a fixed volume of care per year. Once that cap is reached, new registrations are suspended — even when individual clinicians still have capacity.
- Growing demand. Demand for specialised mental health care has risen sharply in recent years, while treatment capacity has not kept pace.
The result: average waiting times for intake at specialised mental health services in the Netherlands are currently three to six months, and for the start of treatment sometimes considerably longer.
Your rights
The Dutch government has set maximum waiting times. If these norms are exceeded, you have the right to active support from your health insurer.
Maximum 4 weeks
The Treek norm for the waiting time between registration and the first appointment (intake) is four weeks for specialised mental health care.
Maximum 10 weeks
After the intake, treatment must start within ten weeks. If it takes longer, you are entitled to waiting time mediation.
Standard: 14 weeks
In practice these norms are frequently exceeded. Know that as an insured person you have the right to care mediation when that is the case.
Taking action
- 1
Establish that the norm has been exceeded
Check how long you have been waiting. Have you already had an intake? Then the waiting time until the start of treatment counts. If the Treek norm (4 or 10 weeks) has been exceeded, proceed to step 2.
- 2
Call your health insurer
Call the customer service number on your insurance card or on your insurer's website. State explicitly: "I would like to request waiting time mediation." Note the name of the employee and the date of the call.
- 3
Receive an alternative offer
Your insurer actively searches for a mental health provider that can help you within the norm. This may also be a non-contracted provider — the insurer is obliged to present that option too if no contracted provider is available within the norm.
- 4
Make a choice and register
You are not obliged to accept the offered alternative. You may also choose a provider yourself — such as AvondFocus. Register with your chosen provider together with your GP referral letter.
Why AvondFocus can help sooner
No contract cap
AvondFocus is a non-contracted provider. We are not bound by an annual maximum number of patients set by an insurer. This means we can continuously accept new patients — even when contracted practices are full.
Evening treatment on Wednesday evenings
Our sessions take place on Wednesday evenings via secure video connection. This makes it possible to combine treatment with work or study, without needing to take time off. It also increases accessibility for people who cannot attend during the day.
Specialised in ADHD in adults
We focus exclusively on ADHD diagnostics and treatment in adults (18+). This focus means we work efficiently: no generic mental health intake, but a targeted pathway tailored to your specific situation.
Practical tips
Alongside waiting time mediation, there are other steps you can take to get help sooner:
- Register with multiple mental health providers at the same time (this is permitted).
- Ask your GP to write a referral to a non-contracted provider.
- Check whether your policy is a restitution policy or an in-kind policy — this determines how much you will be reimbursed for non-contracted care.
- File a complaint with the National Ombudsman if your insurer does not offer mediation after a Treek norm is exceeded.
Frequently asked questions
What is waiting time mediation and how do I request it?
Waiting time mediation is a statutory right. If you have been waiting longer than the Treek norm (4 weeks for intake, 10 weeks for treatment), you can call your health insurer and explicitly request mediation. The insurer is then legally obliged to find an alternative provider that can help you within the norm. Call the service number on your insurance card or your insurer's care desk.
Does my health insurance cover non-contracted care such as AvondFocus?
Yes, in most cases it does. The percentage depends on your policy type: a restitution policy covers 80-100%, an in-kind policy covers 60-80%. Call your health insurer before starting treatment and ask specifically about coverage for non-contracted specialised mental health care. See also our page on non-contracted care.
How long is the wait at AvondFocus?
AvondFocus has no contract cap. This means our waiting times for intake and treatment are generally shorter than at contracted mental health providers. Check our current waiting times page for the most up-to-date information.
Related information