Health care professionals allowed to practise until they are 75 years old

The Icelandic parliament has passed a bill by the Minister of Health, Willum Þór Þórsson, which includes a temporary exemption from the general rule on the 70 years of retirement for government employees.

A notice on the website of the Governance Council states that this will allow healthcare professionals who are engaged in clinical work to work until the age of 75 in public health institutions on the basis of a contract of employment.

The Act adds a new, temporary provision to the Act on Health Care Professionals, which states that from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028, a health care professional of 70 years of age may be hired to perform the tasks of the State’s healthcare.

The conditions of the exemption are that the work is carried out directly on patient communication, support services or research related to the provision of patients, or the guidance of younger healthcare professionals or students.

Temporary employment

It also states that employment under this provision shall be of a temporary nature and normally shall be of one year each, in any event not exceeding two years each.

Temporary employment will be renewable until the health care professional has attained the age of 75.

“It is observed that with flexible retirement and improved rights related to it, more people are choosing to work in healthcare after the end of their seventies than without change. The law change is intended to help improve the staffing of the healthcare system, which can improve its quality and therefore patient safety, ” the notice reads.