Right to a contact physician
If you have a serious illness which must be treated or monitored over a certain period of time, you may be entitled to be assigned a contact doctor in the specialist health service.
Illustration: Rebecca Ravneberg/Helsedirektoratet
Contact physician in the specialist health service is a scheme which is intended to ensure that your follow-up as a patient is better, safer and more effective. Contact physician is a right for you as a patient and an obligation for the specialist health service.
Information on entitlement
The right to a contact physician is stipulated in Section 2-5 a of the Patient and User Rights Act (in Norwegian). Once the hospital or health institution has decided that you meet the conditions for entitlement to a contact physician, you will be informed that you are eligible.
The conditions regarding both severity and duration must be met in order for you to be eligible as a patient. As soon as possible after the assessment has been made, you will also be told the name of your contact physician.
The contact physician's tasks
The contact physician has a particular responsibility to support you during your treatment or follow-up by the specialist health service. The tasks of the contact physician are to:
- act as your regular medical point of contact throughout your patient pathway
- be involved in your treatment or follow-up
- keep themselves informed about the status of your treatment
- help to ensure that the patient pathway progresses as planned
- contact relevant personnel/treatment units in the event of any challenges associated with your patient pathway
- keep you and your next of kin informed
- be available to you and healthcare professionals regarding medical issues
The right to a contact physician applies within the field of somatics, mental healthcare and multidisciplinary specialised treatment for drug addiction.
Right to appeal
If your application for a contact physician is refused, you can appeal against the assessment under the provisions of Chapter 7 of the Patient and User Rights Act. You should send your appeal to the hospital or institution that made the decision.
Guidelines and regulations
Guide concerning contact physicians in the specialist health service (Directorate of Health) (in Norwegian)
Patient and User Rights Act, Section 2-5a - Right to a contact physician (Lovdata) (in Norwegian)