Individual care plan and coordinator

You are entitled to an individual plan if you require long-term and coordinated healthcare and social care services. You are also entitled to a coordinator who will lead the planning work.

A need for coordinated services means that professionals need to collaborate to ensure that you receive a comprehensive service. The assessment must also cover the need for services from e.g. the Norwegian Welfare Administration, the education and early childhood education systems and child welfare system.

What is an individual plan?

An individual plan will describe how the services will collaborate to ensure that you receive comprehensive support. The plan will be created in collaboration between yourself and your service providers and will be updated on an ongoing basis. The plan will be based on your needs and what is important to you.

Key points of the plan include:

  • your goals
  • what needs to be done
  • who is responsible for what
  • the times at which services must be provided

Other initiatives and services you require can be included in the plan, e.g. NAV, child welfare, adaptations at schools or in early childhood education etc.

What is a coordinator?

The coordinator is someone who will ensure that the service providers collaborate well to ensure that you get appropriate and coordinated support. The coordinator will ensure that you are closely involved in the work on your individual plan. The coordinator will often be one of those you receive services from. You can make a request about who you would like as your coordinator.

Who is entitled to individual plans and coordinators?

Anyone who requires multiple services over a certain period of time and if services need to collaborate to ensure that the offering is comprehensive and coordinated. The need does not have to be permanent. This will apply regardless of your age, diagnoses or disabilities.

What will it mean for you to have an individual plan and coordinator?

  • You will be involved in the planning of how services will be provided and your plan will be based around your goals.
  • You will have a coordinator who has an overview of your situation.
  • You will not necessarily be given access to additional services but the services you have access to will be coordinated. This means that the services will collaborate to help you achieve your goals.
  • You can determine which data will be shared between services.

How can I get an individual plan and coordinator?

Professionals working for the services will inform you and offer you an individual plan and coordinator. You or your relatives can also request an individual plan and coordinator. In this case, you can contact the coordinating unit at your local authority. You can be assigned a coordinator even if you decline the offer of an individual plan. An individual plan can only be drawn up and a coordinator can only be assigned if you consent. If you have been admitted to hospital, the hospital will report any need for an individual plan and coordinator to the coordinating unit at the local authority if you require it.

Right of appeal

You can lodge an appeal if you believe that your rights to an individual plan and coordinator have not been upheld.

A man submitting a complaint on a computer

Right of appeal

You have the right to appeal if you believe your rights as a patient have not been upheld, or if you believe you have not received the health or care services you are entitled to.

Illustration: Eugenio Marongiu / Johnér Bildbyrå AB

Health and Social Services Ombudsman

The Health and Social Services Ombudsman can help you with questions about health services and provide advice and guidance concerning your rights.

Ministry of Health and Care Services (lovdata.no)

The Patient and User Rights Act contains legal rules on the rights patients and users have towards the health and care service (in Norwegian).

Content provided by The Norwegian Directorate of Health

The Norwegian Directorate of Health. Individual care plan and coordinator. [Internet]. Oslo: The Norwegian Directorate of Health; updated Thursday, December 15, 2022 [retrieved Friday, October 11, 2024]. Available from: https://www.helsenorge.no/en/health-rights-in-norway/individual-care-plan-and-coordinator/

Last updated Thursday, December 15, 2022