The new requirements for family doctors aim to improve service quality.
Starting Friday, new requirements aimed at improving the continuity, quality, and flexibility of family medical care have come into effect for family doctors and primary health care centers.
Not yet in Latvia, but very close - in neighboring Estonia.
So what can even ordinary Estonians now demand from specialists?
The new regulations more clearly define the accessibility of family doctor services: patients should be able to contact the center by phone, through a digital platform, or in person.
In the case of acute illness, a primary consultation or appointment must be provided within eight working hours; in other cases, within five working days. The family medicine center must be open for at least 8 hours between 7:00 and 21:00, while the health center must be open for at least 10 hours.
For health centers where several family doctors work, separate requirements are established, including the presence of a reception desk, a common website, a single phone number, and centralized personnel management.
In the case of digital inquiries, a requirement is added that the patient will receive an automatic notification regarding the response time to their request.
The content of family doctor services is also specified. It must be team-based and, in addition to treatment and consultation, include disease prevention, monitoring of child development, proactive monitoring of patients from risk groups and chronic patients, immunization, and activities related to screening studies.
The updated requirements for family doctors' services came into effect in Estonia on May 1, 2026. When will patients in Latvia, from Alūksne to Rēzekne, be able to receive such services?
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