Doctor rejects health minister’s claim on LIS working conditions

LIS doctor Cathrine Kristoffersen has criticised Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre for dismissing the portrayal of working conditions in the drama series LIS, Dagbladet reports.

“That the health minister does not acknowledge that what is shown in the LIS series reflects reality for many provokes me,” Kristoffersen said.

She argues that the minister’s claim of a more nuanced picture is inaccurate. Many LIS doctors are left alone on night shifts with heavy responsibility, she said, and even when part of a team, colleagues are often too busy to provide support.

Maria Vandbakk-Rüther, head of the medicine/LIS department at Vestfold Hospital, agrees. The traditional mentor-apprentice training model no longer functions because mentors lack time, she said.

Kristoffersen, who experienced burnout herself, now runs a mentorship programme at Vestfold Hospital. Since its launch, retention has improved: only six of 29 new LIS doctors have left in 18 months.

Basic work conditions—training, meal breaks, and time for questions—must be guaranteed, she said. Without them, uncertainty and pressure lead to excessive overtime and patient safety risks.