Your rights
As a patient, you have many rights. Below is brief information about some of the most important ones. You can find a complete overview at helsenorge.no/rettigheter.
When you have been granted the right to healthcare from the specialist health service, you will be offered an appointment. If you cancel the appointment or do not attend, the hospital cannot guarantee that you will receive healthcare within the deadline you have been given.
Cancel an appointment
Patients and users have the right to participate, and healthcare professionals have a duty to involve patients and users in examinations, treatment and the choice of services.
You will have some of your expenses covered for treatment by a doctor, at an outpatient clinic or at other treatment facilities, but you must pay a co-payment. You will receive an exemption card for healthcare services once you have paid more than a certain amount in co-payments. Co-payments vary depending on the type of healthcare service.
Co-payment and payment
If you have received a referral, you have the right to choose where to receive treatment anywhere in Norway. As a patient in the specialist health service, you can compare waiting times and see which treatment centres you can choose.
Right to choose where to receive treatment
If you have been given a deadline for healthcare and have not received the healthcare by that deadline, you have the right to be offered treatment elsewhere.
Standardised care pathways are nationalpatient pathways thatdescribeassessmentand treatment, as well ascommunication/dialogue with you as a patient. Care pathway coordinatorswill ensure that you are followed up and that continuity is maintained throughout the pathway.
You have the right to see what is in your medical records and to receive copies of all the documents in them.
Access to medical records
The Core Medical Record gives healthcare professionals rapid access to selected, important health information about you, regardless of where you receive treatment.
Core medical record
You have the right to complain if you believe that your rights as a patient have not been upheld, or that you have not received the health or care services to which you are entitled. Relatives may also have the right to complain.
Notification
Patients, users or their next of kin may notify the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision of a death or very serious injury to a patient or user resulting from the provision of health and care services, or if a patient or user injures another person.
A hospital registers, processes and stores a significant amount of personal data, both to provide healthcare and to conduct research. Patients have privacy rights, and the hospital has obligations to uphold them.
Your privacy
You may be entitled to have necessary travel expenses covered when travelling to and from treatment. (You must pay a co-payment for the journey if you have not earned an exemption card or meet other grounds for exemption.
To be reimbursed for travel expenses you have paid, you must complete a travel expense claim form. You can find the electronic application form at helsenorge.no. If there is no public transport on the route you need to travel, call Patient Travel at 915 05 515 for assistance.
The Patient and User Ombudsman safeguards patients’ needs, interests and legal rights. You can contact the ombudsman when you need advice and information about your rights. They can also help you exercise your right to complain. Every county has a Patient and User Ombudsman.
Patient and User Ombudsman
Children may have their travel expenses covered to receive necessary information or follow-up from healthcare professionals when their parents or siblings are receiving healthcare.
Travel expenses for children who are next of kin
If you take part in a clinical study, you have, among other things, the right to withdraw, access information about what data has been registered about you, and be informed of any changes to the study.
The health service is responsible for ensuring good communication between healthcare personnel and patients with limited Norwegian language skills. When necessary, a qualifiedinterpreter.
The hospital must assess your referral within 10 working days. If a serious illness is suspected, the assessment must take place sooner.
Assessment of referrals and the right to a new assessment
Patients and family members have rights relating to travel and accommodation expenses, meal allowances and training benefits.
Rights relating to education
As a patient, you have the right to take part in decisions concerning assessment, treatment and follow-up. Shared decision-making is intended to ensure that you receive sufficient, accurate and relevant information about what you can expect from the treatment options.