Inpatient services

If you require to start a treatment in hospital (inpatient institution), a family doctor or specialist shall:

• issue a referral to you for hospital, enclosed with an extract of examination results substituting the purpose of a referral and your health condition;
• choose a hospital together with you by evaluating the urgency for the receipt of a service;
• agree with you and medical institution regarding the inpatient time, regarding which a remark shall be made in a referral.

If a family doctor or a specialist will decide that you require to receive a health care service in a hospital in an emergency mode, he or she may issue a referral without aligning with the hospital the inpatient time. In such a case necessary diagnostic examinations shall be performed in a receiving-room of a hospital and medical indications for the receipt of health care service in an emergency mode shall be repeatedly evaluated. If a receiving-room of a hospital establishes that it is not necessary to provide health care service in an emergency mode, then a hospital aligns regarding the possible inpatient time and informs also a family doctor on it.

If your health condition suddenly worsens, causing threat to life, it is necessary to call an Emergency Medical Assistance team by calling to 113. The team will provide assistance, evaluate your health conditions and deliver you to the closest hospital, where the required medical care may be provided.

If you will turn to the hospital upon your own initiative, then the diagnostic examinations will be performed in a receiving-room of a hospital and medical indications and a decision for the receipt of health care service in an emergency mode will be taken. If a receiving-room of a hospital will establish that it is not necessary to provide health care service in an emergency mode, it will provide a written refusal for inpatient care and inform regarding the possibility to receive necessary health care services.

See all groups of peeople who in Latvia can recieve State-funded health care.