Frustration over GP bottlenecks during holidays

People across the country are venting their frustrations on social media and elsewhere, saying it is virtually impossible to get a doctor’s appointment during the holiday season.

Suðuroy, for instance, currently only has one GP, and many of Tórshavn’s GPs have gone on holiday at the same time.

KvF contacted public health insurance authority Heilsutrygd, which oversees the GP system, for a comment.

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“We always strive to make sure that no more than half of all GPs in each medical district go on holiday at the same time,” says Heilsutrygd manager Egil á Bø.

“When a GP is absent due to illness or other reasons beyond a set number of days, we try to find substitute doctors to fill in. But this can be difficult at short notice, especially during the summer months.”

It is each GP’s responsibility to find a substitute doctor to cover during his or her holiday period, he adds.

Read the Faroese version of this article here.

More Faroese News in English.