[Something has gone wrong, what now? Procedures, rights and obligations in Dutch health care]

If something has gone wrong during the care process, a physician must consider the following procedures: VIM reporting, calamity investigation, complaint procedure, civil liability procedure and disciplinary procedure. The physician must report an incident internally and the healthcare institution must report a calamity to the Health Care and Youth Inspectorate. The healthcare institution must draw up a complaints procedure and appoint a complaints officer. The healthcare institution must give an opinion about the complaint within six weeks. In addition, the healthcare institution is obliged to be affiliated with a disputes committee. If the healthcare provider is liable for the healthcare-related damage, the healthcare provider has an obligation to provide information regarding the treatment and the incident and is obliged to exchange such information. The healthcare provider must also mitigate the damage, acknowledge mistakes and inform about possible procedures. The Disciplinary Tribunal reviews the physician's conduct against specific professional standards and may impose specific measures.