A renewed assessment is a new, independent assessment within the specialist health service. You can ask for one after a refusal or disagreement about a deadline, diagnosis or treatment. Raise it with the doctor who referred you. You can ask for a renewed assessment once for the same condition.
When can you ask for a renewed assessment?
You can ask for a renewed assessment if you disagree with the assessment from a hospital or another specialist service. It is also known as a second opinion.
Helsenorge lists four situations:
- Your referral was refused and you were not found to have a right to specialist health care.
- You disagree with the deadline by which care must start.
- You disagree with the diagnosis or assessment of how serious your condition is.
- You disagree with the proposed treatment.
You do not have to explain why you want another assessment. The doctor must still consider whether there are sound clinical grounds for making a new referral.
This information was checked on 3 October 2026 against Helsenorge’s information about the right to a renewed assessment. SamfunnPrep also has an overview of basic patient rights in Norway.
Who should you contact first?
Contact the doctor who sent the original referral. For many people, this is their regular GP.
A referral is a message from a health professional asking another service to assess or treat you. For a renewed assessment, the doctor must send a new referral. You cannot simply book any appointment and assume it counts as a renewed assessment under the rules.
Find the letter from the specialist service before your appointment. Note what you want assessed again. You do not have to justify your request, but specific information can make the conversation easier.
You could say:
I would like [the refusal, deadline, diagnosis or treatment plan] to be assessed again. Could you consider referring me for a renewed assessment and explain the next steps?
Ask the doctor to distinguish between explaining the old answer and sending a new referral. These are different tasks, although both may be useful.
Can you choose where the new assessment takes place?
You can choose where the doctor sends the referral. The treatment centre must be authorised to assess referrals.
Ask the doctor which suitable centres can assess your condition. A clinic that offers treatment is not necessarily able to carry out this type of assessment.
Make sure new and relevant information is included in your case. This could be changes in your symptoms, information about previous treatment or documents the doctor needs from another treatment centre.
If you have documents from another country, show them to the doctor and ask what is relevant. This guide does not promise that a diagnosis or private assessment from another country automatically gives you the right to treatment in Norway.
Can your GP refuse to make a new referral?
The doctor may say no if there are no sound clinical grounds for a renewed assessment. The doctor must give a thorough explanation.
This follows Helsenorge’s explanation of the doctor’s assessment. Your request alone does not give you an unconditional right to a new referral.
Ask the doctor to explain what information the refusal is based on. Note the reason and ask what, if anything, could change the assessment. A medical disagreement may require different follow-up from a communication problem.
If you disagree with the doctor, you can complain to Statsforvalteren (the County Governor), which handles complaints about patient rights. Ask for guidance on the correct complaint route and deadline for your case.
Will you get new tests and an answer within ten days?
You are not automatically entitled to new tests, and the ten-working-day response deadline does not apply to a renewed assessment. The new doctor decides whether the existing documents are sufficient.
Working days means workdays rather than calendar days in this context. Ten working days is the rule often mentioned for an initial assessment of a referral. It should not be applied to a renewed assessment.
New tests must be carried out if they are necessary for you to receive safe and appropriate care. Otherwise, the renewed assessment may be based on the referral and the documents already available.
Ask the treatment centre about the expected timeline. If your symptoms get worse while you wait, contact your doctor about the change. A request for a second opinion does not replace an assessment of new or urgent symptoms.
What will the new doctor assess?
The new doctor must independently assess whether you need and have a right to help from the specialist health service. If you have a right to help, a deadline must be set for when the care must start at the latest.
The renewed assessment uses the same criteria as other referrals. It is not a promise of a different or better answer. You may receive the same conclusion as the first time.
Read the response with the doctor who referred you. Check what was actually assessed: your right to care, a diagnosis, the seriousness of your condition or a particular treatment plan.
Distinguish between a recommended treatment and a booked appointment. Ask who is now responsible for contacting you and arranging follow-up. This can help you avoid waiting for a message from the wrong place.
Is a renewed assessment the same as an appeal?
No. A renewed assessment is a new clinical assessment, while an appeal asks for a decision or breach of rights to be reviewed.
| What you need | A suitable first step |
|---|---|
| To understand a letter or treatment proposal | Ask the treatment centre or referring doctor to explain |
| A new, independent clinical assessment | Talk to the referring doctor about a renewed assessment |
| To change a decision you believe violates your rights | Submit a rights complaint using the correct procedure |
A rights complaint may concern, for example, a refusal of care that you believe you are entitled to. Helsenorge explains that these complaints normally go first to the service that made the decision. If it does not change the decision, the case is forwarded to Statsforvalteren.
Follow Helsenorge’s guidance on complaints and the information in your letter. A conversation about a renewed assessment is not itself a submitted complaint.
What should you do if the assessments differ?
You can decide, in consultation with the referring doctor, which assessment should apply. However, a treatment plan from one centre is not binding on another centre.
This means another hospital does not automatically have to carry out everything the new doctor proposes. Clarify where any treatment can take place and who will follow up with you.
You can ask for a renewed assessment only once for the same condition. If you are refused again, you can complain. You can also complain if your right to a renewed assessment was not met or the assessment was not carried out properly.
The Patient and User Ombudsman (Pasient- og brukerombudet) can help you understand your rights and the complaint process. SamfunnPrep has tools and guides for everyday life in Norway to help you keep track of letters, services and next steps.
