OSLO, Dec 2 (Bernama-Xinhua) — The Norwegian government on Tuesday announced wide-ranging changes to regulations for General Practitioners (GPs), introducing mandatory digital accessibility and raising the upper age limit for GP practice to 80 years, reported Xinhua.
According to the Ministry of Health and Care Services, the updated rules will require all GPs to offer digital consultations via video, text, and telephone. Appointment booking must also be made available through the national public health portal, helsenorge.no.
“Residents need a GP service that is more accessible and flexible. Our health services must match people’s needs and expectations,” said Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre.
He described the revised regulations as a necessary step towards a “renewed, reinforced, and improved” GP scheme that ensures the public health system remains residents’ first choice.
The general regulatory changes will take effect on Jan 1, 2026, while the specific requirements related to digital availability will come into force on April 1, 2026. The ministry noted that the grace period is designed to give GPs sufficient time to implement the needed technical solutions.
Previously, GPs were only required to use electronic appointment-booking systems, with no obligation to provide digital medical services. Vestre emphasised that digital consultations are intended as an alternative to physical visits, and that doctors, rather than patients, will determine whether a given inquiry is appropriate for digital handling.
In addition to digital modernisation, the government is raising the upper age limit for GPs from 75 to 80 years, aiming to retain experienced medical professionals in the workforce.
“There will be a shortage of professionals ahead. Older GPs are a resource that many municipalities wish to utilise,” Vestre said, adding that the change could help reduce the number of residents currently without a designated GP.
— BERNAMA-XINHUA