Treatment abroad: Norway 

Norway, renowned for its advanced healthcare system and cutting-edge medical technology, offers exceptional medical tourism opportunities in fields such as orthopaedics, cardiology, and oncology, attracting international patients seeking high-quality care in a picturesque Nordic setting.

An excellent healthcare system, quality of service, efficiency and a stunning northern European location make Norway a popular health care destination for patients seeking surgery and treatment abroad.

Why consider Norway for treatment?

After centuries of domination by the Swedes and Danes Norway gained independence in 1905 and as well as attracting mountaineers from all over Europe, Norway is now attracting medical tourists and is becoming a growing destination for diagnostic imaging as exceptional, English speaking, EU accredited medical staff provide first class diagnostic imaging services (CT scans, MRI scans, ultrasound, X-rays, mammography and bone density measurements) at affordable prices.

Surgeons in Norway undertake many years of intensive training and study, and are often registered with the General Medical Council in the UK. Norway has a top health care service and patients choose to travel to Norway for private medical treatment because there are no waiting times and because the prices are competitive; an MRI starts at €240 in Norway with Scanhealth Scandinavia, a partnership of three private health care companies providing radiology, orthopaedic, ophthalmology and fertility treatments in Haugesund, West Norway.

Pre or post treatment the medical tourist can take advantage of a range of medical holidays. These range from a mini break or holiday in a totally unspoilt natural environment among warm and friendly people, enjoying the fresh, crisp health-inducing air and the clean, green environment. Activity seekers can enjoy canoeing, hiking or skiing – the west coast in particular has spectacular scenery which is fantastic for hiking and cruising on the fjords.

The further north you go the colder it is but the average country temperature in the summer is 16 degrees Celsius while Oslo (the capital) reaches 22 degrees. The best time to visit is between May and August with average temperatures of 15 to 25 degrees Celsius, but many visitors choose the autumn for medical tourism trips so that they can enjoy the beautiful warm tones of the forests.

Reasons to choose Norway

Close to mainland Europe with regular flights and ferries

A growing centre for diagnostic imaging

Competitive prices with no waiting lists

High standards of training and care

Famous for the breathtaking Fjords

Great place to take a break after your treatment

Doctors in Norway : Training and accreditation

Medical training is long and intensive in Norway. The initial medical degree takes six and a half years to complete and specialisation takes another six to eight years. For example an orthopaedic surgeon requires an additional eight years of study after graduating from medical school comprising internship, higher surgical training in general then in trauma and orthopaedic surgery and at least 270 hours of specialist courses covering the whole field of trauma and orthopaedic surgery. Similarly, it takes a further six and a half years to qualify as a radiologist, ophthalmologist or dermatologist involving internship, training in the relevant department and up to 140 hours of specialist courses in the relevant area and hospital administered specialist education.

The Norwegian Board of Health (Helsedirektoratet) is an independent supervisory authority which supervises Norway’s health and social services and the Fylkeslegen department is responsible for assessing the safety of hospitals and clinics, similar to the UK’s Healthcare Commission. The Directorate of Health and Social Affairs (SHdir) looks after private clinics in Norway, many of which are being awarded ISO certification according to NS-EN ISO 9001:2000 and NS-EN ISO 14001:1996. The Department of Health has overall responsibility for health services in Norway and all doctors, surgeons, radiologists and specialists should be members of the Norwegian Medical Association(Den Norske Legeforening), with Norsk Ortopedisk Forening being for specifically for orthopaedic surgeons, Norsk Artroskopisk Forening for orthopaedic surgeons specialists working in arthroscopic surgery and Norsk Overlege Forening for all other specialists. Radiologists should be members of the Norsk Radiologisk Forening as well as Den Norske Legeforening.

Surgery in Norway : Travel and accommodation

Norway has 50 airports located around the country connecting flights nationally, to and from the rest of Europe. Oslo International airport (Gardermoen) is an attractive, modern airport located 48 km north of the city with excellent road and rail connections. Other airports offering international flights include Bergen, Haugesund, Moss Airport at Rygge, Sandefjord Airport at Torp, Tromso and Vigra Airport at Aaelsund.

Travel to and from the centre of town from Gardermoen airport is best done by bus (a 40 minute journey) or the shuttle (‘Flytoget’) which departs every ten minutes and takes just 20 minutes into town. Taxis can be quite expensive and the journey time doesn’t tend to be any quicker. In the southwest of Oslo, the smaller international airport, Torp, is located 120 km south of town in the town of Sandefjord and serves the budget airlines and charter planes. In the west of Norway, Haugesund Airport, Karmoy is located 20 minutes from the centre of town and has an airport bus serving the route to and from town.

Arriving by boat and train

Travelling to Norway is pretty easy. As part of mainland Europe, Norway can be reached by car, bus and train, and there are also ferry connections to various Norwegian ports. The crossing time can be quite long but the boats are modern, comfortable car ferries with restaurants and cabins for overnight journeys.

An extensive rail network links Norway to Europe with high-speed trains connecting the Scandinavian capitals of Copenhagen, Stockholm and Oslo and international trains arrive at Oslo Central (Oslo-S) from all over Europe.

Travelling within the country

The best way to get around the country is to fly and there is a very good domestic network. Train travel is also of a high standard and the Norwegian State Railways (NSB) has a well developed domestic rail network with standard local, intercity and long distance trains. Driving in Norway is not the easiest as there are many give-way rules and drivers have their headlights on at all times of the years. Although many new roads have been developed in Norway you should watch out for potholes and bumps caused by frost and damage from the snow – even in the summer. For helpful tips about the rules of the road and information about tolls see the Guide to driving in Norway. Driving is on the right.

Oslo has a compact centre and the ‘Oslo Pass’ is handy to buy as it provides travel and entry into many museums and sights. You will find an excellent choice of good quality hotels in Norway. Many city hotels are geared towards the business client in the week so the visitor can take advantage of their reduced rates at the weekends and during June, July and August.

The currency is the Norwegian Kroner (NOK) and €1 = around 7.8 NOK.

Norway is in the Central European time zone = GMT + 1.

About Norway

Often described as the ‘Home of Skiing’, Norway is situated in northern Europe with Sweden, Finland and Russia in the east, Denmark in the south and the North Sea to the west. The results of the Ice Age and land erosion have left the country with a very varied and stunning landscape; think snow capped mountains, lush green forests, waterfalls cascading down mountain sides (two thirds of the country is mountainous) and of course the world famous fjords – deep gorges and canyons created by powerful rivers running towards the sea. The fjords were voted ‘top unspoiled travel destination’ by National Geographic Traveller and Naeroyfjord and Geirangerfjord fjords are listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Norway may straddle the Arctic Circle, but it is far from the icy wilderness you might expect at such latitude. Like the UK and Northern Europe, Norway is warmed by the Gulf Stream, and so enjoys a mild climate that belies its position level with Alaska and Siberia. Vast, sparsely populated and bursting with undisturbed natural beauty, Norway is a full of surprises, from chic ski resorts to no less than 21 national parks, teeming with wildlife.

With so much territory within the Arctic Circle, Norway is famous for both the Northern Lights and the nights when it doesn’t go dark at all. The Aurora Borealis are a spectacular and moving sight, as charged particles from the sun light up the atmosphere in an ethereal display of swirling colours. Unpredictable, yet always spectacular when they do occur, they Northern Lights are best viewed in late autumn or early spring.

Come the summertime, the sun never sets in Northern Norway, creating a surreal situation where it is always day and never night. Somehow the locals seem to take it all in their stride, but it is a truly unique and strange experience for visitors.

Norway’s fjords wrinkle the full length of the west coast with spectacular inlets and coves. Staggeringly beautiful and largely unspoilt, the fjords are best experienced from a cruise ship, giving you access to breathtaking bays where massive waterfalls cascade from sheer mountainsides into the crystal clear waters below.

Being so remote and having little strategic value, Norway has enjoyed a quiet history, and so there is little in the way of castles or forts. However, it does have an interesting military history of its own and there are plenty of museums and attractions based on the exploits of the Viking raiders who crossed the seas to Britain and Northern Europe in their famous longboats.

Norwegian cities range from the modern, cosmopolitan capital of Oslo, with its modern skyscrapers, to the frontier feel of Tromso, 200 miles beyond the Arctic Circle, with its wooden cathedral. Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim are also well worth a visit.

Located in the east, Oslo is an elegant, vibrant city with a harbour, castle and many green parks. Take a stroll around town passing Stortovet (the marketplace), the cathedral or take in a play by local playwright, Ibsen, at the National Theatre and sample some of the local dishes such as meat cakes and smoked sausage or dine in one of the top notch restaurants. One of the most enjoyable ways to see the city is to take a fjord cruise from the quay but no trip to Norway is complete without a visit to the Viking Ship Museum to see the amazing, sea-worthy Viking Long Ships.

You’ll find Norwegians to be a friendly, welcoming people who are proud of their beautiful country and its rich folk traditions. For a real taste of traditional culture, head north to the Sami people and listen to the epic Norse Sagas told by characters as colourful as their clothing.