Direct access to physiotherapy in future:
no more need for a referral from 2006

Direct access to your movement specialist in future
Good news: from 1 January 2006 you can contact your movement specialist directly. That is the starting date for direct access to physiotherapy for all.

DAP: Direct Access to Physiotherapy. What does that mean for you?
From 1 January 2006 you will no longer need a doctor’s referral to visit the physiotherapist. Of course, you are still free to make an appointment with your general practitioner first. But you no longer have to do so. This has its advantages. You will have direct access to your movement specialist. Which means you can make a direct start when it comes to working on your recovery. The GP will continue to play the central role in coordinating your care. The physiotherapist will continue to inform your GP about your treatment, unless you do not wish him to do so.

If you decide to go straight to the physiotherapist, the first thing he will do is carry out a screening. This means that he will check to see whether physiotherapy is the appropriate treatment for your condition. If not, he can send you to see your GP, for example. If you can be treated using physiotherapy, he or one of his colleagues can start treatment immediately, in consultation with you. This is an important benefit. After all, the sooner you can be treated, the sooner your recovery can begin.

The registered physiotherapist: a feeling of security
Direct Access to Physiotherapy entails an expansion of the physiotherapist’s area of responsibility. After all, you want the best possible treatment and, if necessary, you expect to be referred to a more specialized therapist or to your GP. The professional organization, the Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy (Koninklijk Nederlands Genootschap voor Fysiotherapie, KNGF) pursues an active policy aimed at continual further improvement of the quality of physiotherapy. For example, it promotes scientific research and obliges its members to continue their education. Those therapists who meet all the quality standards and who work according to the KNGF guidelines will be admitted to the physiotherapy quality register. Only then can a physiotherapist call himself a registered physiotherapist.

Be on the safe side: check your medical insurance
Contact your insurer to ask how your insurance policy covers the cost of physiotherapy.

Royal Dutch Society for Physical Therapy
August 2005

Your registered physiotherapist:

Visit www.fysiotherapie.nl to find a qualified registered physiotherapist near you.