General practitioners quit over new sick-leave payment rules
Several GPs have resigned after the health ministry introduced payment changes that reward not issuing sick notes, prompting concerns in Bergen municipality.
A recent overhaul of the remuneration scheme for Norwegian general practitioners now gives a minimal fee for writing a sick-leave certificate and a higher fee for not doing so. The change has triggered a wave of resignations, with Bergen municipality confirming that several doctors have terminated their contracts, citing the new rules as a key factor. One doctor, Sondre Hauge Rønning, said the reforms conflict with his professional principles and that the removal of evening e-consultation fees further strains practice viability.
Medical representatives warn that the incentive structure could damage the doctor-patient relationship and exacerbate recruitment challenges. The health ministry defends the policy as a move to reduce overall sick-leave rates, while the Norwegian Medical Association stresses that clinical judgment must remain paramount.
Why it matters
The policy may reshape how doctors handle sick leave, affecting patient care and doctor recruitment.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTBoth camps report that new sick-leave payment rules have led to GP resignations, but left-leaning coverage frames the changes as provoking outrage and forcing doctors out, while right-leaning coverage emphasizes the policy’s intent to curb sick-leave and notes official defence alongside warnings of broader impacts.
LEFT
The reforms sparked strong protest among doctors, causing them to quit because they could not continue under rules that pay them to avoid issuing sick leaves.
RIGHT
The policy is presented as a government effort to reduce sick-leave rates, defended by the health ministry, though critics warn it may harm doctor-patient relations and recruitment.
The left emphasises
- doctors resign in protest over the new rules
- extra pay for not issuing sick-leave certificates
- large uproar among the medical community
The right emphasises
- minimal fee for writing a sick-leave certificate, higher fee for not doing so
- health ministry defends the change as a way to cut overall sick-leave
- concerns that the incentive structure could damage doctor-patient relationships and recruitment
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