Norway's Healthcare Communities are set up to build bridges between hospitals and primary care

ABSTRACT

In 2012, the Coordination Reform was introduced inNorway to improve coordination between municipalities that organise primary care and the central government that organises specialised care. In 2020, a local governance reform is being implemented, and some municipalities and regions are being merged into larger entities. “Healthcare Communities”, a new partnership between hospitals and their surrounding municipalities, are being established to improve planning and development of services, as well as contribute to national planning. However, improving coordination between primary and specialist services may prove challenging, notably due to the way in which they are governed.