The Latvian Association of Family Doctors (LĢĀA) and the National Health Service (NVD) have reached a conceptual agreement on shortening the duration of new service contracts during ongoing negotiations over several points of dispute, the association has announced.
According to LĢĀA, contracts between the state and family doctors may now be signed until the 31st of December 2028, instead of the previously proposed end date of 2034. The NHS has also agreed to include a detailed list of reports to be submitted by doctors, although no agreement has yet been reached on the specific content of all those reports.
Several other disputed points remain unresolved, and negotiations continue.
LĢĀA has submitted an updated proposal to the NVD to establish a mutually agreed procedure for amending contracts and has rejected the NVD’s proposal that would grant the service the unilateral right to change contract terms.
Future discussions will address how the contract can be amended and include clauses covering cases where state compensation does not fully cover the cost-of-service delivery.
A key turning point in the legal dispute came with a ruling by the Senate of the Supreme Court on the 14th of March 2025, in a case initiated by LĢĀA against the state. The court recognized that family doctors providing state-funded services are considered “workers” under Article 108 of the Latvian Constitution, meaning their employment rights must follow labour law principles and standards.
The ruling also confirmed that LĢĀA has the legal right to act as a trade union in defence of its members’ rights and to engage in collective bargaining with the government on employment-related matters.
On the 1st of April LĢĀA submitted a formal request to the Cabinet of Ministers to begin collective negotiations, aiming to reach an agreement and sign a collective contract. The association has also called on the government to refrain from making unilateral decisions affecting family doctors’ employment rights without consulting LĢĀA.
Currently, LĢĀA is authorized to represent 628 family doctors and their practices, with 611 plaintiffs and 17 staff members listed as third parties in the court case, as they are not direct contract signatories.
LĢĀA and the NVD have agreed to resolve disputes over the interim contract terms by September, allowing new contracts to be signed after the current temporary agreements expire. Throughout the process, family doctors continue to provide services to patients.
As previously reported, the Administrative Regional Court ruled in favour of applying temporary legal protections in the dispute, preventing the NVD from imposing penalties on doctors during ongoing litigation.
Earlier, the first-instance court had denied such protective measures, but that decision was appealed, and the appellate court reversed it, suspending the controversial clause regarding contract penalties.
LĢĀA emphasized that the appellate court has not yet addressed the substance of the case—only the immediate need for interim protection. The court noted that many contested issues will need to be resolved during the main hearing. Thus, only once a final judgment is issued—not a procedural decision—will it be clear which claims the court accepts or rejects.
It remains unknown when the first-instance court will fully review the case.