Are there any ways to get a quicker GP appointment in Norway?
Norway’s healthcare system has been subject to a GP shortage for a few years, meaning some residents have to wait weeks or months to get an appointment. Are there any ways to speed up the process?
How long does it take to get a doctor’s appointment in Norway?
There are actually regulations stating the patients in Norway must be able to get an appointment within five working days. However, as some may know by now, it can take longer to get an appointment.
The reason for this is a shortage of GPs. The shortage has led to more than 200,000 people being left without a GP.
Last year, the number of GPs grew, and the waiting list fell for the first time since 2017. Despite those green shoots of recovery, many still experience long waiting times for an appointment or do not even have a doctor.
Some can therefore be left waiting weeks for an appointment.
The length of time you end up waiting will be dependent on several factors such as where you live, and how many patients there are on your doctors list.
Essentially, some parts of the country either do not have enough doctors or medical centres, which then creates a bottleneck. Alternatively, it can be harder to get an appointment in the bigger cities due to the sheer number of residents.
What can you do to try and get a quicker appointment?
Again, the regulations in Norway are designed with the patient in mind. If you have an urgent problem, you are entitled to an appointment with your doctor on the same day.
However, it is the doctor’s office that will assess whether your issue is acute or not. You will need to contact the doctor’s office directly, rather than use the online booking system.
Changing doctors will not immediately help the issue. However, that could maybe help get over a consistent problem of waiting weeks for an appointment.
You can change your GP online, via Norway’s digital health portal, Helsenorge. You will need an electronic ID such as Commfides, BankID or Buypass ID to sign in. The list of doctors will have the doctor’s name, age and gender and if they are currently being covered by a substitute.
There are services online which will help you find a doctor with good reviews. One such service is Legelisten.no. One downside is that the service charges users. On the plus side, you can find the best doctor in your area and get an overview for estimated waiting times.
If your issue is severe then you should head to the legevakt. Helsenorge advises patients contact the legevakt if they have moderate breathing difficulties, high fever, suspected complications in pregnancy, acute illness, lacerations and cuts, and suspected fractures.
Before heading to the legevakt, you should call the Norwegian out-of-hours medical service at 116 117, which is open all day long, every day of the week.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about emergency care in Norway
Another option could be going private. Several medical providers have popped up in Norway since the GP crisis began to veer its head, and almost all big cities will have at least a few centres to choose from.
Appointments cost between 500 and 800 kroner depending on the provider. Furthermore, more thorough appointments such as for blood tests will cost a lot more. These medical centres can issue prescriptions if you need specific medication or antibiotics to treat your ailment.
If the issue is ongoing, the cost of appointments can quickly add up, so for many going private will be a short-term solution.
Before booking a private appointment, check whether your insurance, union membership or job may cover it.
Given as they only operate in the biggest towns and cities, this isn’t an option for those in more remote areas.
If you want to try and get a quicker appointment for mental health reasons, then the options available to you will be slightly different.
Mental health issues in Norway are sorted into three categories. These are minor and short-term difficulties (also referred to as mild issues), short-term but severe difficulties, long-term but mild difficulties (moderate problems) and serious and long-term difficulties (severe issues).
Those over 16 can also access urgent mental health care (rask psykisk helsehjelp). A referral from a doctor isn’t needed to access these services. The service also has a low threshold and is aimed at helping those with various types of anxiety and mild or moderate depression, sleeping issues and early-stage substance dependency.
For those with more severe problems, you may be referred to a hospital or psychiatric outpatient clinic. If you need urgent assistance but cannot contact a GP, you can contact your nearest out-of-hours medical centre (116 117). Some major cities in Norway also have psychiatric casualty clinics.
READ ALSO: How to access mental healthcare in Norway
If you feel your symptoms are more minor, then you will likely need to go via the traditional GP appointment route.
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How long does it take to get a doctor’s appointment in Norway?
There are actually regulations stating the patients in Norway must be able to get an appointment within five working days. However, as some may know by now, it can take longer to get an appointment.
The reason for this is a shortage of GPs. The shortage has led to more than 200,000 people being left without a GP.
Last year, the number of GPs grew, and the waiting list fell for the first time since 2017. Despite those green shoots of recovery, many still experience long waiting times for an appointment or do not even have a doctor.
Some can therefore be left waiting weeks for an appointment.
The length of time you end up waiting will be dependent on several factors such as where you live, and how many patients there are on your doctors list.
Essentially, some parts of the country either do not have enough doctors or medical centres, which then creates a bottleneck. Alternatively, it can be harder to get an appointment in the bigger cities due to the sheer number of residents.
What can you do to try and get a quicker appointment?
Again, the regulations in Norway are designed with the patient in mind. If you have an urgent problem, you are entitled to an appointment with your doctor on the same day.
However, it is the doctor’s office that will assess whether your issue is acute or not. You will need to contact the doctor’s office directly, rather than use the online booking system.
Changing doctors will not immediately help the issue. However, that could maybe help get over a consistent problem of waiting weeks for an appointment.
You can change your GP online, via Norway’s digital health portal, Helsenorge. You will need an electronic ID such as Commfides, BankID or Buypass ID to sign in. The list of doctors will have the doctor’s name, age and gender and if they are currently being covered by a substitute.
There are services online which will help you find a doctor with good reviews. One such service is Legelisten.no. One downside is that the service charges users. On the plus side, you can find the best doctor in your area and get an overview for estimated waiting times.
If your issue is severe then you should head to the legevakt. Helsenorge advises patients contact the legevakt if they have moderate breathing difficulties, high fever, suspected complications in pregnancy, acute illness, lacerations and cuts, and suspected fractures.
Before heading to the legevakt, you should call the Norwegian out-of-hours medical service at 116 117, which is open all day long, every day of the week.
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about emergency care in Norway
Another option could be going private. Several medical providers have popped up in Norway since the GP crisis began to veer its head, and almost all big cities will have at least a few centres to choose from.
Appointments cost between 500 and 800 kroner depending on the provider. Furthermore, more thorough appointments such as for blood tests will cost a lot more. These medical centres can issue prescriptions if you need specific medication or antibiotics to treat your ailment.
If the issue is ongoing, the cost of appointments can quickly add up, so for many going private will be a short-term solution.
Before booking a private appointment, check whether your insurance, union membership or job may cover it.
Given as they only operate in the biggest towns and cities, this isn’t an option for those in more remote areas.
If you want to try and get a quicker appointment for mental health reasons, then the options available to you will be slightly different.
Mental health issues in Norway are sorted into three categories. These are minor and short-term difficulties (also referred to as mild issues), short-term but severe difficulties, long-term but mild difficulties (moderate problems) and serious and long-term difficulties (severe issues).
Those over 16 can also access urgent mental health care (rask psykisk helsehjelp). A referral from a doctor isn’t needed to access these services. The service also has a low threshold and is aimed at helping those with various types of anxiety and mild or moderate depression, sleeping issues and early-stage substance dependency.
For those with more severe problems, you may be referred to a hospital or psychiatric outpatient clinic. If you need urgent assistance but cannot contact a GP, you can contact your nearest out-of-hours medical centre (116 117). Some major cities in Norway also have psychiatric casualty clinics.
READ ALSO: How to access mental healthcare in Norway
If you feel your symptoms are more minor, then you will likely need to go via the traditional GP appointment route.
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