Patient loses long-term doctor after cancer diagnosis

A 59-year-old Norwegian woman diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer lost access to her trusted family doctor just as she began treatment, Dagbladet reports.

Åse Fjeld, a former midwife at Elverum Hospital, received her cancer diagnosis in December and underwent surgery two days before Christmas Eve. During the uncertain weeks that followed, she relied heavily on her family doctor, Arnaldo Lerner, who had treated her for 23 years.

“He called me on Christmas Eve and said he’d researched the latest treatment options,” Fjeld told Dagbladet. “He gave me guidance before chemotherapy. I was completely dependent on him.”

But in March, Lerner lost his state reimbursement rights for four years after an audit by Norway’s Health Economics Administration (Helfo). The decision effectively bars him from working as a general practitioner under the public system, forcing his 2,100 patients—including Fjeld—to find new doctors.

Lerner, who has practiced for over 30 years in Grue municipality, can still see patients privately but cannot issue sick leave certificates or subsidised prescriptions. Consultation fees are also higher without state support.

“This couldn’t have come at a worse time,” Fjeld said. She now faces regular heart monitoring and ongoing treatment to prevent recurrence, requiring a doctor who can provide full public healthcare services.

Fjeld had travelled 20 kilometres to see Lerner for over two decades, despite having a local clinic minutes from her home in Flisa. “He knew my history. You could feel he truly cared,” she said.

Helfo conducts annual audits of around 30 of Norway’s 5,700 doctors. Most audited cases result in lost reimbursement rights, with severe violations potentially leading to police reports for financial misconduct.