Your Family Doctor on Vacation: How to Get a Prescription, Referral, or Consultation
A family doctor's vacation does not mean that the patient is left without medical care. Ukrainians can continue to receive consultations, prescriptions, referrals for examinations, and other primary care services without additional documents or re-signing the declaration. The National Health Service of Ukraine emphasizes that medical institutions are obliged to provide a replacement doctor during their absence, and the patient's right to free medical care remains unchanged.
Patients can receive free primary medical care even in the case of their family doctor's temporary absence due to vacation. There is no need to re-sign the declaration or lose the right to state-guaranteed medical services. This was reminded by the National Health Service of Ukraine.
Is the declaration valid if the family doctor is on vacation?
The declaration with the family doctor remains valid for the entire period of their absence. During this time, the outpatient clinic or primary care center must organize a replacement doctor, so the patient can turn to another specialist in the same facility without signing a new declaration.
Medical institutions usually notify about the planned vacation of the doctor in advance through official websites, social networks, announcements, or during appointment scheduling. If there is no urgent need for assistance, the patient can wait for their doctor to return to work.
Where to turn if urgent medical care is needed
In case of an emergency, you should go to the nearest hospital or call emergency medical services at 103. In such cases, a referral from the family doctor is not required.
Every citizen has the right to freely choose a family doctor and sign a declaration with them. It is based on these declarations that the National Health Service pays primary care providers.
What free services can you get from a family doctor
At the primary level of medical care, patients can receive a wide range of free services, including:
- basic blood and urine tests;
- rapid tests for pregnancy, HIV, hepatitis B and C, COVID-19, and troponin;
- electrocardiography (ECG), vision check, otoscopy, ophthalmoscopy, peak flowmetry, and other examinations;
- prevention and treatment of common diseases;
- referrals to specialists, rehabilitation, or palliative care;
- electronic prescriptions;
- vaccinations according to the National Immunization Schedule;
- mental health support services, including screenings, stress assistance, support, and if necessary, referral to a specialized professional.
A family doctor's vacation is not a reason to limit patients' access to free medical care. Regardless of whether a consultation, examination, prescription, or referral is needed, the patient has the right to receive the necessary services at the primary care facility where the declaration was signed.
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