GENERAL PRACTITIONER

If you are interested in working as a GP in Denmark / Scandinavia, Medicolink finds it relevant for you to become acquainted with the following information, prior to your recruitment process.

The Danish Healthcare System

Healthcare service in Denmark is almost exclusively covered publicly and financed by the five regions. The health services are organized into a primary healthcare sector (GPs and private practicing specialist doctors) and a secondary healthcare sector (hospitals and outpatient units), i.e. the GPs function as gatekeepers for the hospitals and specialist doctors. There are a number of private clinics, but the highest proportion of the patients is treated in the public institutions.

Working as a General Practitioner in Denmark

The weekly working hours in Denmark is 37 hours, which contributes to a higher level of work-life balance of a doctor than in almost all other countries in Europe. The estimated minimum yearly salary is about 113.000 EUR yearly (including pension benefits).

GPs in Denmark are self-employed. They have an agreement with the Danish authorities, who pay the General Practitioners for every patient who comes to the doctor’s office, and for the various other services the doctors provide. In addition to this, the practice also gets a set yearly amount per patient assigned to their clinic. Most GPs strive to have continuity in relation to their patients and to build a trusting and confidential relationship to each one. Patients usually use the same General Practitioner for as many years as possible. The GPs are responsible for running their own practice, rent, remodeling/rebuilding, staff, inventory, training, etc. In later years, it has become increasingly popular for General Practitioners to form medical centers and share the burden and costs of running the clinic.

General practices play a central role as the patient’s primary entry point into the health care system, and the GPs are responsible for the roles as generalist, gatekeeper, coordinator and sometimes they just lend a friendly ear in a difficult situation. General practices’ fundamental function is the independent examination, assessment and treatment of most of the symptoms, illnesses and health issues that the citizens contact the healthcare system about.

Societies for family medicine specialists

PLO (Praktiserende Lægers Organisation): Almost all GPs in Denmark are members of PLO. PLO looks out for the GPs economic and professional interests. A board of nine GPs, who have been elected by its members, runs PLO.

If working in Scandinavia as a GP sounds interesting for you, or you would like to get more information, feel free to contact our consultant, Dorottya Gecsei: +36 20 263 5860 or dorottya@medicolink.com.