Minister says hospitals can hire specialists without dedicated funding
Monday 19th October 2026 on 11:01 in
Faroe Islands
Specialist doctors can be hired using existing staffing positions, even though the government’s 2027 budget proposal has no dedicated allocation for them, Health Minister Eyðdis Hartmann Niclasen told KVF.
A 2016 development plan for the hospital service recommended using money spent on consultants and treatment abroad to recruit specialists for permanent posts. Vacant positions are available, but consultants are being used instead, the minister said in a response to MP Hervør Pálsdóttir.
The plan said consultants cost considerably more than specialists and provide a worse outcome for patients. It recommended allocating five million kroner a year for specialists from 2017 to 2020. Parliament also allocated five million kroner annually from 2021 to 2026.
The hospital service says staffing must be increased from four specialist positions to six to ensure adequate coverage.