Mother struggles to book primary care appointment for son
Friday 13th November 2026 on 01:15 in
Iceland
Vigdís Ingibjörg Pálsdóttir says she spent the week trying to book a routine appointment for her seven-year-old son, eventually securing a visit with a paediatrician after five minutes online. mbl.is reported that her attempts to book through the family’s health centre in Seltjarnarnes led her in a circle.
Vigdís, who goes by Vinga, first used Heilsuvera, an online health portal, where she had previously received advice. After she explained her request in the chat, she waited 30 minutes for a brief reply telling her to book through the portal’s My area section.
But the appointment page on her son’s account listed cervical and breast screenings, as well as names she did not recognise. It did not say whether those listed were nurses or doctors, and there were no available appointments with the family’s doctor.
Vinga then called the Seltjarnarnes health centre. She had previously tried visiting in person but was told to call 1700. The person who answered the phone directed her back to Heilsuvera. When she explained that she had already tried, she was advised to send a message through the portal and wait for a reply, which Heilsuvera says usually arrives within three days.
Vinga said she could not book an appointment by phone and was surprised that the portal’s appointment booking section did not offer a way to book with the family’s health centre doctor. The messages section, meanwhile, said it was not for booking appointments and that illness-related advice was available through 1700, the online chat and the Heilsuvera website.
After people commented on her Facebook post, Vinga booked an appointment with a paediatrician through the Domus paediatricians’ website. She said it took five minutes. She will now have to drive from Seltjarnarnes to Kópavogur to see a specialist rather than visit the family’s health centre doctor, whom she described as excellent.
Vinga said the instructions were contradictory and that she had been sent from one service to another. She said people should not have to search through Facebook comments for a way to book a doctor’s appointment for a child.