New hope for Annika and the EEA legane – NRK Vestland
– This will help us in the near future, but I have a hard time seeing that it is a good solution in the long run, says Annika Dyrkjær.
She is Danish, and works as a doctor in Luster in Sogn. So far.
On Tuesday this week, a new signal came from the government that causes the family to postpone the move.
– Two or three years, maybe. But then I can no longer compromise on my own education. I want to be a specialist.
NRK has previously told about how she and her husband have been forced to pack up and travel to Denmark on the eighteenth as a consequence of a rule change from 2019.
The new rule states that those who are educated abroad and want to start as in specialization, must first perform a Norwegian rotation.
For Annika, this means that in practice she has to live in another city and her family for 18 months. A price she does not want to pay.
Although the claim has been referred to as «formalistic» and «rigid», and in strid with the EEA agreement, the Ministry of Health has not been able to move.
But now they come with a new signal.
Consider exemption in special situations
I eat reply to the Storting, Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvil Kjerkhol (Labor Party) writes that she “will consider a solution where those who are qualified to work independently as general practitioners should be able to continue working as GPs.”
He adds that the solution must have an “appropriate delimitation and only be useful in special situations”.
The main conclusion is nevertheless held by the rotation requirement from 2019 because the alternative «Is not viable».
Translated into simpler Norwegian: The sum of political pressure, feedback from «Industry» and the lack of doctors means that the Minister opens up for a little softening.
– The ministry has gone from slamming the door hard again to putting the door ajar for the Danish doctors we are so dependent on in District Norway. It would not have taken place without the strong commitment we have made in recent weeks, and that both the Liberal Party, the Green Party and the Christian Democrats have raised the issue from the Storting. We are not at the finish line yet, but now there is hope, says Alfred Bjørlo in the Liberal Party.
– Not what I dreamed of
– This is not what I dreamed of, but we will see what it will be, says Romain Guitton.
He is from France and works as a doctor at Haukeland University Hospital. He is still waiting for an answer on whether the Norwegian authorities will approve his French rotation service.
In the meantime, the hospital has nevertheless made certain “local adjustments”.
The medical association has several rounds asked the health authority to change the practice.
– We are concerned with utilizing the resources of doctors from Denmark and other EEA countries, says Maja Elisabeth Mikkelsen and Kristin Kornelia Utne in a common phrase.
The two are members of the Norwegian Medical Students’ Association and members of the Norwegian Medical Association’s central board. They add:
– We believe that our proposed solution would take care of both of these considerations. We see that Kjerkol points to another solution, and will familiarize ourselves with and evaluate this.
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Can get authorization without practice
- Danish-educated doctors who have not completed a rotation in Denmark can now be judged on whether they qualify for authorization in Norway.
- This assessment will be made on the basis of the rules of the Health Personnel Act, which also seek to have education outside the EU assess according to.
- This compares the applicant’s education with the Norwegian one to assess whether it is equally good, or whether the applicant has the necessary knowledge
Source: Norwegian Directorate of Health
Before the changes
- Prior to changes in authorization practice, the requirement was that you had to complete the Danish education including the internship year (KBU) and obtain full rights to practice the profession independently in Denmark before you could obtain Norwegian authorization.
- Then it was not necessary for any review of the content of the Danish education.
Source: Norwegian Directorate of Health
Must go through each application
- The Ministry of Health now reviews all the content of the education each individual applies for, and assesses whether it is on a par with the Norwegian medical education.
- Although these applicants do not graduate from Denmark, not all of them have the same education.
- Several of the applicants have e.g. a bachelor’s degree in medicine from another country and has since been admitted to a Danish university to take the last part of the education.
Source: Norwegian Directorate of Health
Will not receive an answer until February
- The Norwegian Directorate of Health has just announced that the case processing will be extended until the end of February 2022.
- It has been almost eight months since the application was sent.
Source: Norwegian Directorate of Health
The Norwegian Directorate of Health set the pace
NRK has previously written about Vetle Barli (27) and others who have ended up “in limbo” between student and professional life as the Danish practice service (KBU) no longer replaces the Norwegian rotation service.
The latest twist is that it is now possible to get authorization to start in LIS1 without having KBU.
The Norwegian Directorate of Health has also opened up to grant authorization to persons with health professional education from other EEA countries.
It was clear in July, but the Norwegian Directorate of Health has not managed to meet its own response deadline of three months.
According to NRK’s experience, there has been no progress in this work.
– If KBU is credited, we will get more fully trained doctors to work faster, the queues for LIS1 will go down, and Norway will save money on it all, says Sine Schei, President of ANSA, The organization for Norwegian students abroad.