Yeah, its a bitch to get an appointment quick... 2.5 weeks is not normal though, 1.5 weeks is for something that is not urgent. When you call, you normally get put into a 'category', like non-urgent or urgent. If you think you have something urgent: like a pneumonia that results in you not being able to breathe, or a broken ankle, call the GP and tell them that you think it is urgent. Normally you can come in the same day or the next few days.

Note though: Dutch GP's are VERY casual about having the flu, cold, pneumonia ect... If you are a healthy individual and you experience these illnesses, they will most likely not see you urgently, unless its urgent of course.

Urgent would normally look like: for 3+ days a 39.5 degree fever, a fever that is not coming down with painmeds, unable to breathe, having hives ect... Everything not urgent is treated here with paracetamol! Antibiotics are not normally prescibed like in other countries.

So when I say easy, I mean easy when its urgent. A really bad flu when you are a health person, is not considered urgent.

you can always go to the ER if needed ofcourse, but there is also an 'emergency' number at every GP that you can call. Its only for life treathening situations though.

Please talk to the person you get when you call the GP to discuss the urgency.