A complaint about your maternity care: how do you go about it?
11-09-2026 — Kraamplein
Start with the conversation
The first step is almost always the conversation: with the maternity carer herself, or with the maternity care organisation. If it's about something that can still be resolved during the maternity week — a difference in expectations, for example — first look at Not clicking with your maternity carer; that's a lighter route that often helps faster.
If it's about something more serious, or the conversation didn't work out, there's a formal complaints route.
The complaints officer
Every care provider in the Netherlands is legally required to have a complaints officer — this is laid down in the Wkkgz (the Dutch Care Quality, Complaints and Disputes Act). This officer is there for you free of charge and can:
- advise you on formulating and submitting your complaint;
- try to get a constructive conversation going between you and the care provider;
- guide you through next steps if that conversation doesn't resolve things.
Ask the maternity care organisation where their complaints procedure can be found; it's usually on their website or in their terms and conditions.
There's a response deadline
The care provider must give a substantive answer within a statutory period — usually six weeks, with a possible extension of a few weeks. So you aren't left in limbo indefinitely.
If you can't resolve it: the disputes committee
If the complaints procedure with the provider itself doesn't produce a solution, you can put your complaint to an independent, legally recognised disputes committee. Every care provider is obliged to be affiliated with such a body. That committee issues a binding ruling and can also award compensation.
What do you do concretely?
- Write down what happened: what, when, and who was involved. Do this as soon as possible, while it's still fresh.
- Request the complaints procedure from the maternity care organisation.
- Involve the complaints officer — it costs you nothing and you don't need to have your complaint perfectly formulated first.
- If you can't resolve it, the disputes committee is the next step.
In short
- Start with the conversation with the maternity carer or the organisation.
- Every care provider must have a free complaints officer (Wkkgz); they advise and mediate.
- There's a statutory response deadline, usually six weeks with a possible extension.
- If that yields nothing, you can go to the independent disputes committee the provider is obliged to be affiliated with; it issues a binding ruling.
- Record what happened, as soon as possible.
Also read What to look out for when choosing maternity care?
This article is general and informational and may be out of date or incomplete. It is not medical or personal advice; for your situation, what your midwife, GP or maternity care provider says applies. You cannot derive any rights from the content, and Kraamplein accepts no liability for damage arising from its use.
See also our Terms and conditions.