In Iceland's Westfjords, a doctor is currently juggling three different management positions at the Healthcare Institution of the Westfjords (HVest), which is indicative of broader staffing challenges in the region's healthcare system. According to a report by the Directorate of Health, the institution faces a persistent shortage of doctors, leading to increased managerial burdens as they struggle to recruit new staff. A noteworthy point raised in the report is the reliance on medical professionals from Denmark to alleviate some of the staffing shortages.

The HVest operates two primary facilities located in the towns of Ísafjörður and Patreksfjörður, in addition to seven health clinics. At the time of the report, only two specialist doctors were based in the area, and both were working full-time, with only 40 percent of their time dedicated to the hospital ward. This illustrates the pressing need for additional healthcare providers in remote areas of Iceland, where recruitment is particularly challenging.

Furthermore, operational issues, such as frequent power outages at the Patreksfjörður facility, add to the difficulties faced by health workers and administrators. The report emphasizes that a significant amount of administrative time is spent on finding and hiring doctors, which detracts from other critical healthcare responsibilities and suggests a need for systemic improvements to support the healthcare workforce in the region.