Patients Need a Family Doctor, Not Yet Another Doctor!

A Norwegian doctor has voiced strong criticism against the government's initiative to create a parallel public online doctor service. The physician argues that this move will undermine the established family doctor system by diverting essential medical personnel. State Secretary Usman Ahmad Mushtaq defended the plan, stating it aims to relieve pressure on family doctors. However, the critic points out that the online service will be staffed by general practitioners, effectively moving workforce away from existing clinics to address a problem of resource scarcity. The doctor questions the logic of building a new system when the existing one faces challenges, particularly regarding timely access to appointments. Family doctors are legally obligated to offer same-day appointments for acute issues, a service that could be compromised if resources are shifted. The article highlights research emphasizing the importance of continuity of care, showing that patients seeing the same doctor over time experience fewer emergency visits, hospital admissions, and lower mortality rates. While private online doctor services already exist and are growing due to the family doctor system's difficulties, the author argues the public sector should not replicate this fragmentation. Instead, the focus should be on making the family doctor system more accessible, robust, and adequately staffed. The core argument is that if the government identifies an accessibility problem, it should strengthen the existing family doctor framework rather than creating a separate system that sends patients to yet another doctor, albeit on a different screen.

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What happens to the family doctor system when the state builds a parallel general practitioner service next to it?