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05-01-2022

GP services are returning to pre-pandemic levels

Iliustracija

Recently, the services provided by family doctors are gradually catching up with the pre-pandemic level. Statistics show an increase in the number of patient visits and GP services provided to them. Waiting queues are returning to normal, and remote consultations are gradually declining, according to health insurance specialists.

According to the data provided by medical institutions, more primary outpatient personal health care (POPHC) services were provided in January-November last year than in the same period in 2019, when the coronavirus pandemic had not yet covered Lithuania. It is estimated that a total of 16.4 million POHC services have been granted during the mentioned period this year, while in 2019 - 15.8 million POHC services.

"The statistics are gratifying and remind us once again that all difficulties always have a way out. Although coronavirus has significantly disrupted the work of health care facilities, we see that the government's decision to provide remote consultation in a safe and uninterrupted manner has proved positive. The total number of patient visits has increased as a result of remote consultation, which means that the population has not been left without the necessary assistance. The pandemic has shown that some of the problems for patients with a doctor can be solved by phone, for example, prescribing daily medicines, obtaining an incapacity certificate, etc.”, says Violeta Tylienė, Head of the Contracting Division of the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) under the Ministry of Health.

It is noticeable that more and more Lithuanian medical institutions are returning to a normal work rhythm and family doctors are more and more often accepting their patients for live consultations. For example, if in January last year the share of patients' remote visits to family doctors accounted for almost 63 percent, at the end of the year, in November, remote consultations accounted for a significantly lower percentage - 42 percent of all visits to GPs.

Also, the data provided by medical institutions and summarised by the NHIF show that last year, on average, 83% of patients could get access to doctors of the GP team within up to a week. Thus, even under quarantine conditions, 8 out of 10 residents were provided with GP services in the shortest possible time and the rest in two weeks or more. Similar indicators were observed by the specialists of the health insurance funds in the pre-pandemic year: in 2019, 81 per cent of patients could get access to doctors of the GP team within up to 7 days.

Health insurance funds point out that patients should not forget the date of their visit to the doctor and arrive on time. There are cases when patients who have registered with a doctor do not come to the medical institution and thus another patient loses a free place. Therefore, patients who have an appointment with a doctor are constantly reminded to be disciplined and to cancel an appointment immediately if there are any reasons not to see a doctor.

The NHIF invites you:

Your questions are welcome by email [email protected] or phone: local (8 5) 232 2222, international +370 5 232 222

Last updated: 25-02-2022

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