90% of Icelandic GP's working in Health Centers run by the State resigned
from their posts on February 1st. The resignations should have become
effective from May 1st but were extended by 3 months by the minister of
Health. However on August 1st roughly 120 GP´s resigned which are about 90%
of this group. Large areas in the country do not have any available doctors
and the inhabitants have to travel far to the nearest hospital. The reason
for the resignations was a lack of clear directives from the Ministry of
Health as to which doctors are to serve in primary care and which in
secondary care. During the last 20 years we have been able to build up a
very well functioning primary care according to the ideology of CCCPP,
Continuity, Community based, Comprehensive, Personal and Primary.
During the last 6 months discussions with the Ministry of Health have been
going on about the the future of Primary Care in Iceland and this led to the
acceptance of GP´s of the Health Ministers future plans in which were
presented in July. However negotiations with the Ministry of Finance which
started in June came to an abrupt end on July 31st resulting in the above
mentioned situation. Negotiations are to start again today. This has caused
a serious crisis in the health sector and affected patient service
throughout the country as expected. The spirit among those who have
resigned is high and we look upon this as a last resource action to keep the
Primary care level in Iceland first class as it should be and also as a
necessary action to regain our salaries which have been fallen behind,
resulting e.g. in difficulties in recruitment as well as finding locums.
This message is intended to inform you about the progress since February
when we sent out information about the situation and also it may become
necessary to ask GP´s elsewhere for professional and financial support.
Thorir B Kolbeinsson MD, unemployed
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For information you can also contact
Johann Agust Sigurdsson
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Katrin Fjeldsted, fax 354-551-4595
President of The Icelandic College of Family Physicians
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