About the Ministry of Health and Care Services

The ministry plays a central role in promoting digitalisation within the health and care sector, ensuring that initiatives align with the development goals for the services. These initiatives include digital collaboration, such as Pasientens legemiddelliste (the Patient's Medication List), Helseteknologiordningen (the Health Technology Scheme), digital services for citizens and healthcare professionals, improved access to and use of health data for research and analysis, artificial intelligence, digital security, as well as the European Health Data Space (health.ec.europa.eu) and other international collaborations.

The ministry is responsible for the management of the Norwegian Directorate of Health, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, the Norwegian Medical Products Agency, the Norwegian Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority, the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision, the Norwegian Biotechnology Advisory Board, the Norwegian System of Patient Injury Compensation, the National Office for Health Service Appeals, and the Norwegian Healthcare Investigation Board. The ministry also oversees the ownership management of the regional health authorities (RHAs), Norsk helsenett, which is the national service provider of e-health solutions and is responsible for facilitating secure and efficient electronic interactions, and Vinmonopolet AS, which is the Norwegian monopoly for wine and spirits. 

Better public health contributes to people living longer with more years of good health, reduces the risk of disease, and helps decrease social inequalities in health. Efforts to reduce tobacco consumption, increased physical activity, good nutrition, food safety and safe drinking water are important areas for improving public health. Public health work also includes environmental health protection, infection control, and radiation protection, along with the associated areas of law. The ministry is also responsible for alcohol and drug policy.

The Ministry of Health and Care Services has national responsibility for health preparedness and for efforts related to societal security and preparedness in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Protection Instructions. This is ensured through systematic work and development of regulations, through inspections, budget and grant management, as well as through leadership, organisation, and governance of the public administration and authorities, including the regional health authorities. The Ministry of Health and Care Services leads the Health Emergency Preparedness Council (in Norwegian) and participates in the government's Crisis Council.

The ministry is responsible for health legislation, including the Patient and User Rights Act, the Specialist Health Services Act, the Health and Care Services Act, the Dental Health Services Act, and the Public Health Act. Certain services have their specific laws, such as the Abortion Act, the Transplantation Act, and the Biotechnology Act. Specific duties for healthcare personnel are established in the Health Personnel Act, and the County Governors and the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision oversee the health and care services according to the Health Supervision Act.

Norway has a significant international health policy engagement through cooperation with the European Union, the UN and in particular WHO, the OECD, the Council of Europe, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and with countries within the Arctic region. Cooperation with the EU is of high priority, and the Ministry of Health and Care Services has a diverse EU/EEA portfolio. The ministry collaborates with the EU on food safety, nutrition, pharmaceuticals, digital health services, and public health issues such as tobacco, non-communicable diseases, cancer, and mental health.

Health preparedness and response is highly important, and the government is working to achieve participation in EU's health union. The ministry participates in several EU programmes, including EU4Health, EU Civil Protection Mechanism (UCPM), and Horizon Europe. 

Norway is a member of the WHO Executive Board from 2024 to 2027, and will be guided in its Executive Board work by a WHO strategy that has been developed. WHO is the UN's specialised health organisation and plays a leading and coordinating role in dealing with global health challenges, developing norms and health related standards, and crisis management. As outlined in the strategy, Norway gives priority to governance, universal health coverage, and preparedness in health and humanitarian crises during the term as an Executive Board member.

Municipalities are responsible for providing services to individuals in need of health and care services. The largest user groups for these services include elderly people. In younger age groups, the largest user groups are individuals with disabilities and those with mental health or substance abuse issues. The health and care services in municipalities should ensure that people feel secure in receiving the necessary healthcare where they live or reside. General practitioners are an important part of this service, along with emergency services, health centres and school health services, physiotherapy, home-based services, and nursing homes.

The population should have good access to safe and effective medicines. The public sector covers the majority of the costs for prescription medicines. The distribution chain for medicines is thoroughly regulated. Pharmacies ensure that patients receive their medicines along with important information on correct usage.

Assistance for individuals with mental health issues and disorders is provided partly through municipal health and care services and partly through specialist health services, as well as through voluntary services outside the public healthcare system. The municipality is responsible for ensuring that individuals with mental health issues and disorders are offered the necessary health and care services. The specialist health services provide good and equitable specialist health services to everyone who needs them when they need them, regardless of age, gender, residence, economy, and ethnic background. Whether one is entitled to necessary healthcare from the specialist health services or not is a medical assessment. It is the treatment facility that receives the referral which makes this assessment.

Treatment and follow-up services aimed at people with substance use related problems and substance use disorders, are provided partly through municipal health and care services and partly through specialist health services. Voluntary services outside the public healthcare system supplements public services.  The municipality is responsible for ensuring that people with substance use related problems and substance use disorders are offered necessary health and care services. Hospitals are responsible for ensuring that people with substance use disorders are offered interdisciplinary specialised substance use treatment (TSB). TSB includes both acute services, detoxification, outpatient and ambulant services, and inpatient services.

The specialist health services include hospitals, outpatient clinics, medical specialists, ambulance services, and more. The responsibility for specialist health services is assigned to the four regional health authorities (RHAs), which are owned by the state through the Ministry of Health and Care Services. Specialist health services are provided in hospitals and by private specialists and clinics. The regional health authorities (RHAs) are responsible for ensuring specialist health services for the population, either through hospitals owned by the RHAs, which are organised as health trusts, or through agreements with private service providers.

Children and young people are entitled to free dental services from the county dental clinic until the year they turn 18. Thereafter, they are entitled to dental services from the county dental clinic with a 25 percent co-payment until the year they turn 24. Additionally, some other groups in society are entitled to free dental services from the county, primarily individuals with developmental disabilities, those receiving a certain extent of home nursing care, residents in nursing homes, and certain groups of substance abusers.