To provide healthcare services, medical institutions, healthcare professionals, and medical support staff must be registered following the procedures established in the national regulatory acts. Furthermore, medical institutions must comply with the established mandatory requirements. The state funded healthcare services are provided by the medical institutions which have an agreement with the state on the provision of such services.
- Healthcare professionals — persons who have medical education and provide medical services
- Medical support staff — persons who are not entitled to provide medical services, but are directly involved in the healthcare processes
- Medical institutions — doctoral practices, state and local government institutions, businesses which are listed in the Registry of Medical Institutions, comply with the mandatory requirements established for medical institutions and their structural units in the regulatory acts, and provide medical services
Healthcare professionals and medical support staff
The healthcare professional or medical support staff involved in the provisions of medical services:
- shall have the due qualification evidenced by a diploma issued by the respective educational institution;
- shall be listed in the Registry of HealthCare Professionals and Medical Support Staff.
The persons listed in the Registry of Healthcare Professionals and Medical Support Staff are allowed to provide medical services in the respective profession independently within the competence limits established by the Cabinet of Ministers.
The following shall be entered into the Registry of Healthcare Professionals and Medical Support Staff:
- healthcare professionals: doctors, dentists, medical nurses, midwives, medical assistants (paramedics), assistant nurses, cosmeticians, beauty care specialists in cosmetology, dental paramedics, dental nurses, dental hygienists, assistant dentists, physiotherapists, ergotherapists, equine therapists, technical orthopaedists, speech language therapists, assistant physiotherapists, assistant ergotherapists, assistant equine therapists, assistant radiologists, biomedical laboratory technicians, chiropodists, masseurs, art therapy specialists, radiographers;
- medical support staff: biomechanics, bionics and prosthetic device engineers, geneticists, laboratory specialists, speech-language therapy specialists (speech-language teachers, speech therapists), medical physicists (biophysics), medical equipment engineers, professional healthcare chaplains, prosthetic appliances technicians, psychotherapists, public health specialists, social carers, social workers, solarium staff, special education teachers, sports specialists, dental technicians.
In the Registry of HealthCare Professionals and Medical Support Staff, the Health Inspectorate shall:
- register (grant rights to provide medical services in the respective profession), renew or extend the registration of rights of healthcare professionals and medical support staff to provide medical services in the respective profession;
- register information about healthcare professional and medical support staff vacancies (name of the vacancy, speciality, position);
- register information about healthcare professional and medical support staff certificates (certified speciality, certificate number, date of issue, and validity).
After entry into the Registry, the healthcare professional or medical support staff is entitled to provide healthcare services in the respective profession for five years.
The person which has acquired the necessary education, is listed in the Registry of Healthcare Professionals and Medical Support Staff, and has completed educational program (in the relevant specialty), is entitled to receive a certificate in certain specialty.
The healthcare professionals and medical support staff listed in the Registry of Healthcare Professionals and Medical Support Staff and certified are allowed to provide medical services in the respective speciality independently.
Certificate – a document confirming the professional readiness of the respective person and indicating that the healthcare professional, as a specialist, is competent to provide medical services independently (including establishment of own practice in the respective field).
The healthcare professional certificate and the certificate for treatment and diagnostic methods is valid for five years. The certificates are issued by the Latvia Medical Association, Latvian Association of Professional Healthcare Organisations, and the Latvian Association of Nurses.
Medical institutions
Fore a medical institution to be entitled to provide healthcare services, it must be listed in the Registry of Medical Institutions and comply with the mandatory requirements established in the regulatory acts.
In the Registry of Medical Institutions, the Health Inspectorate:
- registers medical institutions (name, address(-es) (subsidiaries), type of business, type of property, business profile, structural unit(-s), contact details);
- registers information about the medical institutions which have notified their compliance with the mandatory requirements established in the regulatory acts.
The registries of medical institutions, healthcare professionals and medical support staff are available here: Health Inspectorate website.
Information line: for additional information about the healthcare professional/medical institution, please, call +37167501589 or +37167387662.
Providers of state-covered services
The state-covered healthcare services are provided by the medical institutions which have an agreement with the state on the provision of such services.
For information about the institutions and specialists who provide state-covered services and the waiting times for the services, please, refer to:
- on the website: www.rindapiearsta.lv (available information is in Latvian);
- information line (local calls only) +37180001234 (working days 8:30-17:00);
- information line from abroad +37167045005 (working days 8:30-17:00).