Hospital Waiting Times in Norway: How to Find the Shortest
When you are referred for examination or treatment, the referral usually goes to your nearest hospital. You are not bound by that. You may choose any treatment centre in Norway, and the gap between the nearest one and the fastest one is often several months.
Your right to choose a treatment centre
You have the right to choose where you are treated for all planned examinations and treatment in the specialist health service. The right follows from Section 2-4 of the Patient and User Rights Act and applies regardless of which municipality you live in.
You can choose between all public hospitals, and private centres that hold an agreement with the public health service. The patient fee is the same wherever you go. Travel costs can be claimed through the patient travel scheme.
The gap is wider than most people expect
Waiting times vary sharply between hospitals performing exactly the same procedure. Three examples, taken from Helsenorge in August 2026:
| Treatment | Shortest reported | Longest reported | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cataract surgery, artificial lens | 38 weeks | 135 weeks | almost two years |
| Secondary cataract, laser treatment | 8 weeks | 35 weeks | about six months |
| CT scan of the chest (CT thorax) | 1 week | 32 weeks | about seven months |
For cataract surgery the shortest reported wait was at Helse Fonna in Haugesund and the longest at Helgelandssykehuset in Mosjøen. Same procedure, same patient fee, same right to choose. The difference is how long you live with the condition before it is treated.
How to choose, step by step
- Before the referral is sent. Raise it with your GP. Your GP is expected to look at waiting times with you and send the referral where you choose. This is the easiest point at which to decide.
- Referral already sent? You or your GP can contact the centre holding the referral and ask them to forward it to the centre you want.
- An answer within ten working days. The treatment centre must assess your referral and reply within ten working days of receiving it. You will be told whether you have the right to necessary health care, and if so, a deadline for when treatment must start at the latest.
If you need help along the way, call Helsenorge Guidance on 23 32 70 00. You can also speak to a patient adviser on 24 24 05 00. These are nurses with experience from the specialist health service. They are bound by confidentiality and can answer questions about treatment options, waiting times, switching hospitals and your rights.
Telephone hours vary: weekdays 09:00 to 11:00 in Helse Vest and Helse Midt, and 09:00 to 15:00 in Helse Nord. In Helse Sør-Øst the adviser line is temporarily closed, so use the number given in the letter you received from the hospital instead.
A third of waiting times are not updated
The whole arrangement assumes you can see what the wait actually is. But treatment centres report their own figures, and not all of them do.
We measure this every month. In August 2026, 66.9 per cent of the waiting times published on Velg behandlingssted were updated. The measurement covers 291 treatments across 603 treatment centres, 9,462 combinations of treatment and centre in total.
| Health region | Share updated | Count |
|---|---|---|
| Helse Vest | 89.0 % | 1,416 of 1,591 |
| Helse Midt-Norge | 72.7 % | 1,035 of 1,423 |
| Helse Sør-Øst | 69.1 % | 3,222 of 4,666 |
| Helse Nord | 36.9 % | 657 of 1,782 |
The Norwegian Directorate of Health used to run a national quality indicator measuring precisely this. It was discontinued, and the last published figure is from 2021, when 84.3 per cent were updated. We are not aware of anyone else measuring it since.
Some treatment centres have not reported a waiting time for a single one of their services. Kirkenes hospital has 138 registered services and no updated waiting times at all. Hammerfest has 93. The full picture is in our reporting overview, which updates automatically.
What «not updated» actually means
If the entry says «Ikke oppdatert», it does not mean the wait is short. It means the wait is unknown. The hospital performs the procedure but has not filled in the figure.
It is worth noticing who is missing. For cataract surgery it is the largest providers: Oslo University Hospital Ullevål performs 4,414 of these operations a year and reports no waiting time. Vestre Viken in Drammen performs 3,718. Stavanger performs 3,301. None of them has a figure.
If a centre is a realistic option for you, call and ask. A missing figure is not a reason to rule a place out, but it is not a reason to choose it either.
Nearest is not always fastest
It is easy to assume the nearest hospital is the practical choice. Sometimes it is. But when the difference is 38 weeks against 92, it is worth weighing what the journey actually costs you in time against what the waiting costs.
Remember that you can claim travel and, where relevant, accommodation costs through the patient travel scheme when you choose a centre further away.
On our waiting time pages you can select the municipality you would travel from and see the distance to each treatment centre alongside its waiting time.
If the deadline is missed
If you are granted the right to necessary health care, the treatment centre sets a deadline for when treatment must start at the latest. If they cannot meet it, you are entitled to treatment elsewhere at public expense.
Helfo coordinates this. Call them on 33 48 44 00 and they will find an alternative for you.
Frequently asked questions
Can I choose which hospital treats me?
Yes, for all planned examinations and treatment, anywhere in Norway. This covers public hospitals and private centres with a public agreement. The patient fee is the same either way.
When do I choose?
Ideally before the referral is sent, together with your GP. If it has already gone, ask the centre holding it to forward it.
Why does it say not updated?
The centre has not reported its figure. The wait is unknown, not short. Call the centre directly to find out.
Can I be on several waiting lists at once?
No, one at a time. That is why comparing before you choose matters.
What if the deadline is missed?
You are entitled to treatment elsewhere at public expense. Contact Helfo on 33 48 44 00.
Sources
- Norwegian Directorate of Health and Helsenorge: Choosing a treatment centre. The right to choose a treatment centre for planned examinations and treatment, and the service that publishes waiting times.
- Norwegian Directorate of Health: Get help choosing a treatment centre. Phone numbers for Helsenorge Guidance and the regional patient advisers, and what the advisers can help with. Last updated January 26, 2026.
- Lovdata: Patient and User Rights Act, Section 2-4, the right to choose a treatment centre. LOV-1999-07-02-63.
- DinLos: Reporting rate measurement. Our own figures, collected from Velg behandlingssted on August 6, 2026. 291 treatments, 603 treatment centres, 9,462 combinations. Updated automatically each month.
This article was produced with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. The waiting time figures are our own measurements as they stood on August 6, 2026. If you spot something that looks wrong, tell us at hei@dinlos.no and we will correct it.
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This article provides general information about the right to choose a treatment centre, not medical or legal advice. Rules, fees and waiting times change. For binding information about your own situation, see helsenorge.no or contact Helfo.