Norway has gained more doctors. The government boasts its best result in years

Access to GPs in Norway is improving. The latest data show that both the number of people without a fastlege (regular GP) and the number of patients waiting to change doctors are falling. Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre of the Labour Party (Ap) says the system’s capacity has been expanded in recent years. At the same time, the country’s population continues to grow.

There are currently 5,845 GPs working in Norway. That is almost 650 more than three years ago. Vestre stresses that the increase in the number of doctors is taking place while Norway’s population is growing. In his view, this means that the system’s capacity is increasing faster than demand.<br /><br />The government had previously pointed to problems with recruiting and retaining GPs. A large number of residents were also left without an assigned fastlege. Vestre says the measures taken were intended to renew, strengthen and improve the functioning of the system. According to the minister, the new data show the effects of these changes.

Currently, 92,773 residents do not have a regular GP. This is the lowest figure in six years. Between August and September alone, the number fell by nearly 18,000 people. The decrease therefore occurred over a short period.<br /><br />The situation is also changing for people who want to switch to another doctor. The number of residents on the waiting list to change their fastlege continues to decline. The data therefore point to greater availability of places in the system. However, Vestre notes that efforts concerning GPs have not yet been completed.

The government intends to continue working on access to primary medical care. Vestre says that the goal remains to ensure that all residents have good, accessible services from primary care doctors. The latest data are meant to be one stage of these efforts.