Tag: Hospitals

16 Dec. – get your healthcare here

which way to healthcare?
pic: aftonbladet.com

DN published the results of an investigation today in which it is reported that people with private health insurance were receiving care at clinics and hospitals many times faster than patients who were only part of the Sweden-wide general health insurance. Of the ten healthcare providers DN contacted, nine reported that they gave priority to private health care clients.

At the end of 2018, DN reports, over 618,000 Swedes had private health insurance; one person in seven. Insurance companies provide their clients with access to networks of doctors and other specialists with whom appointments can be booked without getting a formal referral (remiss) – something that patients on the tax-payer financed insurance need to do.

The official care guarantee is backed by law: Patients have the right to meet with a specialist within three months. Within three months is also the time a patient is supposed to have the operation or other treatment they need. However, the number of people who have had to wait longer than three months, sometimes much much longer, has risen from 14% to 30% over the last five years.

For patients with private insurance however, DN writes, a person can meet with a specialist within a few days even without a referral, and get the needed operation as fast as two weeks later. Even getting an x-ray or a blood test is a quick process.

It isn’t entirely bad news for the tax-payer insured though. Only four of the healthcare providers do not provide care within the regulatory three month guarantee time, meaning that although they may prioritize privately insured patients, five of the health care companies make sure their publicly-insured patients can still see the doctor they need to see within the required three months. Small mercies.

Of course, this wasn’t the way it was supposed to be when health insurance was first made available. Private health insurance was, and is, touted as relieving – unburdening – the public healthcare system. The Swedish Health and Medical Service Act (Hälso- och sjukvårdslag) stipulates that healthcare is provided with respect to the equal value of all people and for the dignity of the individual. The patient with the greatest need is always to be attended to first.

Reports like this indicate, though, that something is sick, and it’s not the patients.

14 Dec. – health care protests in Stockholm

healthcare workers hit Stockholm streets in protest
pic: Claudio Bresciani/TT

“The section is closed,
and the patient is dead,
“but everything’s fine”
the hospital board said.” *

So went the poem (roughly translated, and with a good dose of poetic license) by medical student Alexander Radkiewicz, at the demonstration protesting hospital staff layoffs in front of the parliament building in Stockholm today (SvD.se/demo). As written about earlier, in this blog post, a total of 1350 layoffs have been announced over the last several months, and an additional budget cut to the tune of 1.1 billion kronor has been mandated by Stockholm Region council.

The facebook group behind the demonstration has 16,000 members. “The younger people are the ones that are the first to be affected by the layoffs” said Laura Björnström to SvD. “This can wipe out an entire generation in health care” added Akil Awad, one of the demonstration organisers. “You hear it all the time – it’s like a mantra – that patient safety isn’t at all threatened (by these layoffs)” he continued. “But for us who are there working, we see that it is. We see it all the time.”

Anna Starbrink, Region Stockholm councilperson responsible for healthcare, told SvD that she understands the tough situation: “Obviously, a lot of thoughts go through one’s head when you see such a demonstration. At the same time, you need to remember that it’s fantastic that so many are so engaged in the healthcare issue.”

Be sure to remember that, next time you need health care in Stockholm.

* “avdelningen är stängd/och patienten är död/men på patientsäkerheten går det iiiiingen nöd“

Oct. 20 – yes we have no syringes

no planned surgeries
pic: sverigesradio.se

A half dozen hospitals throughout Sweden remain at crisis levels (stabsläge) through the weekend and at least through Monday, as basic supplies have still not been delivered. Crisis level has meant that scheduled operations have been put on hold for the time being, in order to ensure the availability of supplies for critical and emergency operations. The basic supplies that have particularly been delayed are such items as syringes, washcloths and needles.

Currently, hospitals in Västmanland, as well as others in the regions of Örebro, Uppsala and Dalarna, have rescheduled all planned surgeries. Almost a hundred operations at Uppsala hospital, and 42 operations in Dalarna, have been postponed (SvD.se/hospitals). Not all hospitals have been affected however, such as at Akademiska Hospital in Uppsala. As Margareta Sandback, the admin in charge of supplies there, who made sure there wasn’t a shortage, put it: “I’ve been here before” (Svenska Dagbladet, Oct. 20, p. 2).

Other hospitals and admins were completely taken by surprise. On October 1, the company in charge of delivering supplies to hospitals changed from Mediq to Apotekstjänst. Apotekstjänst has explained that they were taken aback by the number or orders that came in, and added that the hospitals must have been low on supplies to begin with (DN.se/hospitals).

Hospitals have been reaching out to the previous company Mediq as well as other suppliers, looking to shore up their stocks. Meanwhile, a committee has been formed to look in to creating some sort of supply warehouse to increase preparedness “There hasn’t been an economic possibility for this earlier” said Mikael Köhler, chief surgeon at Akademiska Hospital (DN.se/hospitals).

Of course, questions arise as to whose head should roll. Lawyers (jurister) at Region Uppsala are looking into it, but insist that they are not looking to sue or to change companies. “Maybe later we can look at who’s right or who’s wrong,” said Anne Nilsson, head counsel, “but right now it’s about getting supplies” (DN.se/hospitals).

updated: Although Akademiska Hospital in Uppsala previously had no trouble with supplies, by Tuesday morning they had had to reschedule a whole lot of operations – SvD must have gotten that wrong. In more news on this topic, the CEO for Apoteksstjänst – the company which has not delivered, in more ways than one – resigned on Monday. It hasn’t helped a bit.