Background: Recruitment of general practitioners to Northern Norway has failed during the last few years, especially in municipalities with a population of less than 4,000, though some small municipalities have maintained a stable medical service. What are the differences between municipalities with stable and unstable services?
Material and methods: A questionnaire was mailed to the medical officers of the 89 municipalities in Northern Norway, with questions on the structure and organisation of the medical service, and factors influencing doctors' professional life and quality of life in general.
Results: Answers from 62 municipalities were included. Municipalities with unstable services had longer distances to the nearest hospital, and doctors in these municipalities reported heavier work-load and professional isolation.
Interpretation: A combination of factors concerning the structure and organisation of the primary health care seem to cause the increased difficulties in the unstable communities, hence they should have a potential for improvement.