Going to the doctor in a foreign country can be a daunting experience. But fear not…check out our articles on Norway’s medical system to find out everything you need to know. In this article you’ll find some experiences of fellow expats who have used different aspects of the medical system here. Please remember these are the views of the individuals concerned and so every experience may differ. Contributors have been kept anonymous for privacy.
Read more about the Norwegian National Health System here
Read a great overview of ‘Going to the Doctor in Stavanger’ here
For all aspects of pregnancy and giving birth, see Cynthia’s excellent series on Having a Baby in Norway
Visiting the Doctor
In Norway, you can see your GP as a general health advisor on any ailments or complaints. Many doctors here speak great English, but make sure to check when you make your appointment.
“I recently visited the fastlege (GP) that I’d been allocated through HELFO. I called the doctor’s surgery and was given an appointment the next day. The doctor spoke English well and asked all the usual questions, so my experience wasn’t unlike a visit to the GP in my home country. I had to return to have a mole removed and this was done at an appointment the following week with the same doctor. Overall, the whole process was very easy and ran smoothly.”
If you’re not registered with a fastlege here, don’t worry. You can make appointments for all sorts of ailments at a private clinic such as Forus Akutten, without membership or referral.
“I’ve been to Forus Akutten for just about everything non-emergent and have always been happy with my treatment there. I highly recommend Dr. Hammerstrom. He comes off as very anti-social and shy, but he’s brilliant, and recently saved a friend’s life with a diagnosis that a couple of other doctors missed.”
Emergency Treatment
In case of emergency, you should visit the Legevakt (doctor on duty) or call 113 for an ambulance.
“When I had the unfortunate experience of breaking my arm after slipping on the ice (when people say be careful on the ice, they’re not treating you like an old lady. I was one of 4 people in the emergency room with breaks from walking on ice) my experience with the local hospital was pretty positive. I was seen within 3 or 4 minutes at the emergency room, examined, and sent round the corner for an x-ray. Note: they’re not in the habit of offering you something for the pain, if you need it, you have to ask.
The wait for the x-ray was relatively long, I think we were there for maybe two hours. The x-ray done I was sent to the clinic in the hospital, where I was seen again in another 5 minutes, and within another 10 minutes I had a cast on my arm and was on my way. Everyone was pretty great, though not every staff member spoke English, which was a bit of a downer.
Overall, I didn’t have the miserable emergency room experience one expects, but that may be relative as my injuries weren’t so bad.”
Stavanger Legevakt (right next to the Stavanger Sjukehus)
Armauer Hansens vei 30
4011 Stavanger
51 51 02 02
Sandnes Legevakt
Jærveien 107
4318 Sandnes
51 97 10 97
Getting a referral to a Specialist
Depending on which country you’re from, you may be used to being able to book an appointment directly with a specialist. However, in Norway you must first visit your GP to obtain a referral.
“Last November I went to my doctor to get a referral to the gynaecologist. So if you want to go to a specialist doctor – anything beyond your GP – then you have to obtain a referral from your GP to said specialist. Once you have this, the referral is valid a year. Since your GP takes care of birth control, then they say that there is generally not a need to have continual access to the Gyno. In the referral system, you don’t get to pick your specialist, it is automated I guess.
My referral letter came from the Gyno with my appointment details within just a few days. However, there was a month and half waiting time. (If you feel it is urgent, a phone call can not hurt to bump it up closer) So I was hoping to see a lady gyno, but I didn’t. I saw Johan Bergh, a nice older male who was good with English. I found that he was very helpful and willing to discuss the matter I was there for. I highly recommend him. His office is located in Madla next to the mall. When seeing the Gyno, there is approx. 300kr co-pay involved – so be prepared, I did not realize it was more than the GP co-pay.”
Visiting the Dentist
Click here for a list of all the dentists in Stavanger.
“The dental system in Norway can easily throw you for a loop, considering all the inconsistencies in which services are covered by the national insurance and which are not. All Norwegian citizens under the age of 18 have full dental coverage. This does not cover orthodontics.
The insurance scheme has four degrees of coverage for orthodontic care which are classified into four groups: A, B, C, and D. After examination and x-rays, the orthodontist will summarize the severity of the dental work that needs to be done.
The assessment of which group the patient falls into is determined by the insurance company-group A being the most severe with all costs covered 100%. Group B and C are covered 75% and 40%, respectively.
The majority of patients will fall into group C or group D, which is a category for orthodontic work considered to be only cosmetic in nature and as such will not be covered under national insurance. Group A and B would be considered highly severe dental problems that are classified as a handicap.
However, the process is quite simple and all the work is taken care of by the office. They will create a monthly payment plan for you after submitting and receiving a care classification from the national insurance bureau. Here is an example of a typical payment summary for Group C orthodontic care, typically paying 1000 kroner per month.
X-rays, dental care and temporary retainer top and bottom for one year with 40% covered by insurance: 10000 NOK (after deduction)
X-rays, dental care and permanent braces for top and bottom for 18 months with 40% covered by insurance: 15000 NOK (after deduction)
The overall experience of dealing with an orthodontist has been surprisingly painfree, as the orthodontist has taken care of all the paperwork and drawn up payment plans, lying out a clear and easy to understand treatment course that has saved us the trouble of trying to work out insurance schemes and percentages.
I can recommend Mark Lowey, a British orthodontist with a fun and friendly “bedside” manner. He is located in Stavanger at Vakre Smil. I have been very happy with his approach and his knowledgeable, friendly staff, and the work they have done with my son’s teeth has been far better than I imagined possible, especially that we’ve completely avoided injections/extractions.
Also, it’s great to be able to communicate in English when you’re dealing with medical and dental issues, and they are also very helpful with getting in emergency appointments for adjustments or other pressing problems.”
We’d love to hear more experiences from you – please comment below if you have anything you would like to share.
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About Sadie Ramm
Sadie is English and moved to Stavanger in May 2010 with her boyfriend who works in the oil industry. After leaving her career in marketing to relocate to Norway, she's currently freelancing as a marketing consultant, specialising in helping small businesses with strategy and planning, website design and copywriting. She is making the most of the great outdoors that Norway has to offer, and has taken up cycling since moving here. She loves making stuff - knitting, sewing and cooking in particular. She's most often found out walking with her Manchester Terrier puppy, Nero.
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2 comments
Cynthia
Feb 25, 2011
I have had 3 GPs (fastlege) so far and I have not been satisfied with either one of them. The first one made a mistake – she prescribed the wrong medication to me and refused to acknowledge her mistake when I confronted her with it. The second one was always on holiday and the third one is indifferent to everything.
I have also been to the legevakt and was not impressed – I had an eye infection and the affected eye would not stop tearing and stinging. I have had that before and knew that medicated eyedrops would help, I just needed the doctor to write me a prescription. And since it was a Saturday, only the legevakt was available. After waiting for 2 hours, I was sent home without a prescription and told to go to my GP on Monday. And I had to pay for that (useless) consultation. A friend of mine went to the legevakt with a sprained ankle and was also told to wait til Monday to see her GP.
However, my labour and delivery experience was fantastic and the health station was fantastic as well – everyone is experienced and helpful. Seems to me like that is the only part of the medical system which is world class.
subbi1000
Apr 14, 2011
Health Care or Wealth Care
Norway has (arguably) the best health care system in the world. This (in my opinion) is being constantly put to the test by my keen observation (silly me). We had to recently visit the University Hospital for some more tests for my wife. After waiting patiently for the ‘Emergency’ doctors to have a look at her condition, we waited some more – this time in a room with all the gadgets one could only hope for. I don’t ever remember anyone teaching me that impatience was a virtue. A good four hours after we first were admitted on an emergency basis, I got the courage to ask an apple crunching, internet surfing intern on the status of our case. She seemed all professional and immediately attended to my wife some 15 minutes later. What struck me as odd was that she was chewing gum the whole time she examined my wife. Is this habit not considered rude in some cultures? Does it not portray a lack of respect? And all this has to be tolerated because we are at the mercy of a system that takes it’s own time and our own time and money with it. Needless to say that we are still waiting for some expert diagnosis on my wife’s condition. Wonder when that will arrive – when they are ready to disclose the contents of the examination I guess? And so we wait.