The National Contact Point for e-Health (NCPeH) is a European network enabling healthcare providers to mutually exchange medical details. This exchange takes place through a secure connection.

By means of the NCPeH-network, citizens authorise the transfer of a digital patient summary to a healthcare provider in the Netherlands. Henceforth, Dutch healthcare providers will be able to access the patient summaries of citizens in other EU countries linked to the network.

The NCPeH ensures continuous availability of the patient summary, as well as its automatic translation into the healthcare provider’s language. Thus, the patient summary of an Estonian patient can be accessed in Dutch. This prevents delays and miscommunication in emergency care.And this unburdens patients in an already stressful situation.

Patient consent

In advance, the patient authorises the availability of their patient summary through the NCPeH in their home country. Only after this consent may the healthcare provider access a patient summary. Moreover, the patient must authorise the NCPeH-NL to access the patient summary. They do so by signing the Patient Information Notice (PIN).

Beeld: © ICTU

An exception to this procedure is allowed if the patient cannot be addressed. In that case, the healthcare provider can apply for a patient summary in order to provide emergency care without a signed PIN. It should be noted that even in this case consent needs to be given in the home country.

Contact information connected NCPeH’s

Citizens from a connected country can contact their own home countries NCPeH for questions, such as how consent is given or withdrawn and how the patient summary is created by their country.Below you can find the contact information of the NCPeH in your home country.