It is about SEK 9 million that Stockholm Center for Eating Disorders (SCÄ) incorrectly placed on research in the years 2015 to 2018. Resources that could have gone to 4.5 to 5.5 full-time services per year, or about 450 new patients who could have been treated annually.
Tips led to scrutinyThe growing care queues and tips from external players led the Health and Medical Administration to choose to review the business.
- We got tips that there were circumstances in the business that were not good, so we chose to do a more in-depth follow-up, says Anna Ingmanson, Head of Department of Local Health Care in Region Stockholm.
She continues:
- I take a serious look at what emerged in the report. It is extremely worrying for the entire eating disorder care in the county.
What does it mean for patients that healthcare money has gone to research?
- The report believes that it has contributed to the displacement effect and made the queuing situation worse. Now we have added more resources to another health care provider within the eating disorder care, so they have increased capacity so that they can receive more patients, says Anna Ingmanson.
She continues:
- Our chief physician is in contact with the Stockholm Center for Eating Disorders to see if there are any emergency patients who need care quickly.
"Research should not penetrate healthcare"The report also criticizes the Stockholm Center for Eating Disorders for having an unclear limit on how money should be distributed between healthcare and research.
Has the business mission been unclear?
- From my perspective, they have had a very clear mission. Research is absolutely necessary, but it must interact with healthcare and not push it out.
Stockholm Center for Eating Disorders has until September 20 to respond to the review. After that, Region Stockholm will decide on how they will proceed.