– I think it is an expensive solution for the municipality, and the patient is the losing party. That’s what Kjell Harald Horpestad says at Orstad medical center in Klepp på Jæren. He has been a GP for 30 years, and is critical of the fact that his home municipality has entered into an agreement with the private healthcare provider Dr. Dropin to solve the GP crisis. – The agreement does not provide the health benefit and safety for the patient that the GP scheme provides. He points out, for example, that the same GP follows up the patient over time, while patients with Dr. Dropin risk meeting different doctors each time. – The fact that you have someone who accompanies you over time leads to better health, and reduces the risk of being admitted urgently by 25 per cent. Residents who wish to have Horpestad as their GP must, as of today, wait four years. 230,000 patients in this country do not have a GP, according to figures from the Norwegian Medical Association. The Minister of State: – Not a development we want Health and Care Minister Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) is clear that the agreements between municipalities and private healthcare providers regarding GP services are not good. – Absolutely no. This is not a development that we want, on the contrary, it is precisely this that we want to avoid. This is one of the reasons why we have a historic commitment to the GP scheme in the budget and will spend almost NOK one billion next year. Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol on the GP agreement with Dr. Dropin: – Not a development we want. Photo: Even Bjøringsøy Johnsen / news The government has set aside NOK 690 million extra in the state budget for the GP scheme. She says that the GP scheme is and must be the mainstay of the health service. – We work purposefully to counteract further privatization and a development where the individual’s wallet provides faster or better health care. Must travel out of the municipality – The reason for the agreement is that over time there has been increased pressure on the municipal superintendent and the ambulance service, says municipal superintendent Roman Benz in Klepp. Municipal chief physician Roman Benz in Klepp. Photo: Arild Eskeland / news – Residents have complained about a lack of healthcare. They called for a proper health service, outside of the emergency room. Patients must book an appointment with Dr. Dropin. Those who wish to see the doctor have a drive of just over half an hour to Stavanger. Others can get an hour of video consultation. They only pay the deductible they pay at the GP. The GPs first heard about the municipality’s agreement with Dr. Dropin the weekend before it came into force. They made suggestions, but were not heard, according to GP Horpestad. – The municipality should have found another solution in collaboration with the GPs. He points to the Tromsø model, which was created to ensure that a GP system still exists in Tromsø and the neighboring municipalities. – They have solved the GP crisis with new framework conditions such as a fixed salary and a buy-back guarantee for the practice after three years, says Horpestad. Municipal superintendent Benz says the municipality had wished they could conclude a long-term agreement with the municipality’s GPs, but it still didn’t work out. – For various reasons, it was not possible at the present time. Cecilie Jaatun. Photo: Kristoffer Apall / news The patients we meet in the GP’s waiting room have divided opinions. Cecilie Jaatun wants to have pure municipal health care, without private interference. – I think the municipality’s agreement with Dr. Dropin will undermine the entire GP scheme. Margaret Aarsland, on the other hand, is positive about the agreement. – I think that people will get a faster doctor’s appointment with Dr. Dropin. Margaret Aarsland. Photo: Kristoffer Apall / news Wants cooperation with several municipalities – It makes sense to be able to assist those patients who do not have access to a GP in their municipality, says Dr. Dropin founder and general manager Daniel Sørli. He refutes the claim that patients see different doctors each time. At the clinic in Stavanger, there is stable and good coverage, says Sørlie. He hopes to be able to contribute even more in the future towards the public sector to ensure good health services for everyone in Norway. He points out that Dr. Dropin also has an agreement with Eidskog municipality in Innlandet, and that there is a dialogue between Bergen municipality and Dr. Dropin about similar cooperation. – We will not replace the public health service, but be a supplement to the public’s premises. Dr. Dropin founder and general manager Daniel Sørli looks forward to collaborating more with public services in the future. Photo: Trond Stenersen / news May be a breach of the Health Act. Leader Nils Kristian Klev of the General Medical Association believes the agreement between Klepp municipality and Dr. Dropin is unfortunate. Head of the Association of General Practitioners Nils Kristian Klev believes the agreement between Klepp municipality and Dr. Dropin is unfortunate. Photo: Thomas B Eckhoff / The Norwegian Medical Association – It may be that they see it as a short-term crisis solution, but it is not a good solution. He believes the agreement may be a breach of the GP regulations. The municipalities have a duty to ensure that there are enough GPs so that everyone who wants it gets a place on a list. – The offer through Dropin is not a GP service, but more like a day GP service. Klev says that this is a consequence of the lack of investment in the GP scheme over time. – Then private actors see the opportunity to intervene. I have more faith that the municipality engages in dialogue with the GPs to find a lasting solution. 230,000 patients in this country do not have a GP, according to figures from the Norwegian Medical Association. Some municipalities are now taking action to change the situation. Photo: Kristoffer Apall / news Fast-acting expert group reduced The Minister of Health emphasizes that the government is not on target with the work related to the GP scheme. Much work remains to ensure good medical coverage throughout the country. – The crisis in the GP scheme is serious, and we know that several municipalities have challenges. This applies particularly in the districts. – What will the minister advise Klepp municipality and others who are in crisis to do? – I understand that there is impatience among the municipalities, but the government is working purposefully to make the GP scheme more sustainable. This is a crisis that has developed over at least ten years, and unfortunately it cannot be solved overnight. That is why we have set up a fast-working expert group that will propose concrete measures to strengthen the GP scheme for the coming years, says Kjerkol.
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Klepp municipality solves the GP crisis by entering into an agreement with Dr. Dropin – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
