One application for seven GP vacancies

After years of struggling to fill the country’s 34 permanent GP positions, the number of vacancies has now been narrowed down to six.

And when the application deadline passed for the remaining vacancies, only one application came in.

The sole application came for the vacancy in Eiði, where one of the GP recently resigned. 

According to Egil á Bø, the head of Heilsutrygd (the Public Health Insurance), this applicant will be appointed to the Eiði position shortly, bringing the Eiði medical district back up to full capacity with two GPs.

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Two GP vacancies were announced in the Skálafjørður medical district, two in Suðuroy medical district, one in Norðuroyggjar, one in the capital region and one in the Eiði medical district.

This means that the remaining six GP positions will continue to be manned by temporary replacement doctors.

But Egil á Bø says the GP shortage has improved vastly in the past year, and he is confident that all the positions will become permanent soon, as many junior doctors are currently training to become GPs.

Translated by prosa.fo