Many immigrants did not visit a GP

Doctor.Photo: pixabay.com

Only 58 percent of immigrants in Norway visited their GP in 2015.

Sixty-five per cent of Norwegian-born children of immigrants had been there at least once, while the proportion in the rest of the population was 71 per cent. This means that three out of ten without an immigrant background did not go to the doctor in 2015 and more than four out of ten immigrants did not (Figure 3). When we look at the percentage that went to the doctor five or more times in 2015, the disparities were minor.

Also in the use of emergency care the immigrants follows a similar pattern; where 14 per cent of immigrants have been to an emergency care unit at least once, compared to 17 per cent of the general population. The largest user group of emergency care is Norwegian-born children of immigrants, with a usage share of 22 per cent.

Although immigrants as a group go less often to the GP and emergency care than the general population, there are rather large disparities between immigrants, by country background.