Getting sick
The healthcare system is probably the government provided service that affects us the most throughout our lives. It welcomes us into this world and supports us as we leave it. In between it is always there to help us in our most vulnerable moments when we get hurt or sick.
Shortcuts
Emergencies
In case of an emergency you should always call 112, the National Emergency Number.
The National Emergency Number 112 is on call 24 hours a day, all year round. When talking with an emergency operator it is important to give as clear and precise information as you can for them to be able to assist you and dispatch the correct first responders to the scene.
When accidents happen it is important to know how to respond. The Icelandic Red Cross offers a variety of first aid courses for all ages, where you can learn the simple actions you can take in any emergency.
Other sudden illnesses and accidents
Most local health care centres and hospitals provide emergency services. Municipality health care centres provide emergency services in case of sudden illness or small accidents, but it is recommended to call their information centre before you arrive. The phone number for the health care information centre is 1700. Local health care centers are open during the day every weekday, but in the evening and on the weekends, you can turn to the off-hour medical clinic, Læknavaktin. They are open from 5pm to 10pm weekdays, and in the weekends from 9am to 10pm. Consultation by phone (tel. 1770) is available from 5pm to 8am during the week and 24 hours per day during the weekend.
The largest emergency room in the country is at Landspítali, the National University Hospital of Iceland in Fossvogur, Reykjavík, where the seriously ill or injured are treated all day, every day of the year. However, it’s not the only emergency service the hospital provides, as it also has a children’s emergency room, a psychiatric intensive care unit, a maternity ward, an emergency care unit for those who have been the victims of sexual violence, and a poison centre.
Outside of the capital area, emergency services are provided by county hospitals, the Health Care Institution of West Iceland in Akranes, the Westfjords’ Health Care Institution in Ísafjörður, the Akureyri Hospital, the Health Care Institution of South Iceland in Selfoss, and the Sudurnes Hospital and Health Centre in Reykjanesbær.
“Heilsuvera” and other health care services provided by health care centre
Heilsuvera is a website where you can find information and educational material regarding diseases and advise on how to maintain better health. “Heilsuvera” also has a chat room where you can contact health care professionals. When you log into My pages on Heilsuvera, you can also book an appointment with a doctor at your local health care centre, renew prescriptions, and find personal information regarding your health, e.g. vaccinations and prescriptions.
At the local health care centres, doctors and nurses receive patients for, e.g., pre booked appointments, maternity check-ups, infant care, vaccinations, and psychological services. On Heilsuvera, you can find a map showing which health care centre is closest to you.
Landspítali – The National University Hospital of Iceland
Landspítali is the largest hospital in Iceland. Its mission is to provide first class health care services, support research, and teach and train people to work in Icelandic health care. The hospital also has an important role when it comes to providing support to the smaller health care institutions around the country.
The hospital’s largest establishments are at Hringbraut and in Fossvogur in Reykjavík. Hringbraut houses, e.g., maternity and children’s wards, the children’s hospital, the psychiatric intensive care unit, several surgical and outpatient care wards. In Fossvogur, you will find the emergency room, poison centre, an emergency care unit for victims of sexual abuse, and other surgical and outpatient care wards.
A health record is a collection of data about an individual regarding their treatment at a health care institution. We all have the right to view and obtain our own health records but these recordes are stored at the health care institution where they were created. A request for access can be sent to the health records supervisor, i.e. a doctor appointed by the institution to supervise and ensure health records are in accordance to the law. At Landspitali, the national university hospital of Iceland, the request can be sent via an application form on the hospital's website. Akureyri Hospital and the Sudurnes Hospital and Health Centre also offer electronic applications for health records. If you need health records from other health institutions, you should contact them directly.
Health Insurance
Iceland Health covers part or all of the cost of those insured for healthcare. The objective of the Act on Health Insurance is to ensure assistance to protect health and equal access to health services irrespective of economic situation. This includes financial aid due to travel and/or accommodation costs in relation to medical treatment, financial aid when buying support equipment, medicine, physical therapy, and dentistry, as well as sickness benefits.
Iceland Health also issues the European Health Insurance Card. The card ensures access to medically necessary, state-provided health care during travels in other EEA countries and Switzerland. The cardholder then pays the same fee for health care as the residents of the respective country. Apply for the European Health Insurance Card.
Preventative Measures and Public Health
In Iceland, women are offered regular screenings for breast cancer and cervical cancer. Women aged 40 to 69 are invited to come in for a breast cancer screening every two years and women aged 70 to 74 every three years. Cervical cancer screening is provided every three years for women aged 23 to 29, and every five years from 30 to 64 years old. The Co-ordination Centre for Cancer Screenings oversees these screenings but breast cancer screenings are conducted at the Breast Centre in Reykjavík, at Akureyri Hospital, and regularly at local health care centres around the country. Screenings for cervical cancer are conducted by nurses and midwives at local health care centres.
The Icelandic Health Care System works to promote public health, i.e. to improve the physical and mental well-being of the people by providing advice and preventative measures. Projects regarding health care are many and conducted around the country in close cooperation with the Directorate of Health. Its principal role is to promote high-quality and safe health care, health promotion, and effective disease prevention measures. It is also responsible for the supervision of the health care services, grant licenses to health care professionals, and keep a registry of licensed doctors, nurses, and other health workers.