This chapter briefly describes the organisation of primary care in the Netherlands, the tasks of general medical practices and the way those are financed. For the Dutch population, general practitioners are, generally, the first point of contact with the health care system. General practitioners in the Netherlands have a strong position in the health care system. The gatekeeper function in referrals to secondary care, patient enrolment at general medical practices, and the involvement of general practitioners in out-of-hours services all play an important role in this respect. Dutch general practitioners provide a wide range of care and are in a key position as care coordinators. Compared to other countries, the average time per consultation at the surgery hour is short, in the Netherlands, while the number of registered patients per practice is relatively large.
