What are my rights as a client?
Everyone has the right to help with psychological problems. It is important that you receive treatment and/or counselling from the right healthcare institution. MET ggz will help you determine whether our care professionals can offer the support you need.
Right to information
You have the right to receive information about all aspects of care. Our care professionals are always happy to answer any questions you may have. For example, you might have questions about MET’s working methods, treatment preferences, self-help programmes, client support and/or patient associations, your privacy, and how to make a complaint.
Right to self-determination
Our staff will discuss with you what is possible in terms of the treatment, what will happen next, and what this means for you. You are also entitled to request a second opinion, either within or outside MET ggz.
Data protection
MET ggz handles your personal details with the utmost care. Any information you discuss with a care worker or other staff member is covered by the obligation of professional secrecy. We will not share any information about your treatment with others without your consent. However, we will inform your referring physician of the progress of treatment, unless you object to this. We only exchange data with financial institutions that is necessary for payment transactions. If you are unhappy with the way in which MET ggz handles your rights, you can contact the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).
Processing purposes and legal grounds
We process personal data in a lawful manner in order to provide clients with a good service or to comply with legal obligations. Personal data held by MET ggz is primarily processed in order to comply with a legal obligation. If we wish to use your personal data for a purpose other than that for which it was originally collected, we will inform you of this purpose and provide you with all the relevant information.
Withdrawing consent for processing personal data
If you give MET ggz permission to process your personal data, you have the right to withdraw it at any time. However, this does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before it is withdrawn.
If you do not provide us with data required by law, no agreement will be concluded. If you exercise your right to delete data that is subject to mandatory registration by law, this will result in immediate termination of the agreement(s) between you (the client) and MET ggz.
Controller at MET ggz
Director J.P. (Anja) Pijls, P.O. Box. 21, 6040 AA Roermond, 088–114 9494, info@metggz.nl.
Data Protection Officer at MET ggz
M.M.A. (Matias) Kruyen, privacy@metggz.nl.
Privacy statement
Detailed information on how we deal with privacy can be found in the privacy statement on our website: metggz.nl/privacyverklaring.
"People can often come a long way without any help. This is also true of people with mental health problems. Sometimes, there are just too few opportunities to solve problems on your own. In those situations, MET ggz is here to help."
Children and young people
Treatment is financed by the municipality (or the health insurance provider in the case of young people over 18). If the treatment is financed by the municipality, we provide them with information about the scope of the care provided. If the treatment is financed by the health insurance provider, we provide them with the following information: the primary practitioner, the main diagnosis, and the scope of the care provided. You can object to this by printing out the objection form on our website (under Practical information, Rights and expectations), filling it in, and returning it to us. For sharing other data (e.g. with neighbourhood teams or youth and family centres), the practitioner or counsellor will request your permission in advance.
Right to inspect, supplement, transfer, and destroy your records
You have the right to inspect your records. To do this, simply inform your care worker. At your request, the records will be corrected or destroyed as soon as the provision of care comes to an end. You also have the right to obtain any personal data held by us. MET ggz stores your information in an electronic patient file. We retain records relating to your treatment for 20 years after the termination of your treatment programme. We retain records relating to your counselling for 15 years after the termination of your counselling programme. After this period they are destroyed.
Preferred care worker
When you register, you have the right to express a preference for the gender of your care worker. It is possible, in consultation, to change care worker if there is a reason to do so. If you return at a later date to start a new treatment programme or for follow-up treatment, we will check whether you can continue to see your usual practitioner.
Reporting incidents
You have the right to report incidents or unsafe situations that you have witnessed. Your care worker will forward the report to the appropriate person within MET ggz.
Aggressive behaviour
Aggressive behaviour towards MET ggz staff will not be tolerated. MET ggz will report any form of violence to the police. The perpetrator shall be responsible for any damage caused.