It is the Medical Association's annual employee survey for 2019 that has shown that the summer for the health care staff has been very busy in several places.

- There are a lot of new nurses who say that it has been a great job: Should it be like this to work as a nurse? They are strong words they express. Many people believe that patient safety has been very low, and the working environment has been under all criticism, says Jenny Olsson.

“Patient safety is jeopardized”

Anja Holmgren works as a nurse at the cardiology unit at Norrland University Hospital. She is one of those who thinks that the work situation has not been sustainable during the summer.

- It has been a very pressured situation regarding both care places and too little staff. Many people, among other things, have had to take extra passes and have not been able to take out their lunches.

According to Anja Holmgren, several colleagues testify that patient safety was compromised due to staff shortages.

- Colleagues have been worried that patients will not receive the care they need. One weekend we did not have enough nurses, so we went down to the care sites. There were supposed to be seven care places but due to the need for care there was overcrowding even that weekend which led to a higher workload.

The region's own survey not completed

The region's own investigation will only be completed in a couple of weeks, but according to Anna-Lena Danielsson, chair of the health committee, politicians have so far received no indications that this summer would have been tougher than in previous years.

- It has not been anything more alarming. But people have been struggling, so it is. This is because you have such tight summer staffing, so that if someone is sick, for example, the others get the more work.

"We accept their criticism"

One reason for the stressful work environment of the healthcare staff is that this year the region has again found it difficult to recruit enough staff. Anna-Lena Danielsson thinks that the views of the Healthcare Association should be included in the evaluation for next summer.

- It's about doing it as well as possible, both for the staff but also for patients. We accept their criticism and their opinions, and of course we will do everything we can to make the next summer considerably better.

One solution to remedy the situation with the staff shortage has been an agreement with the region which means that ordinary health care staff may, if necessary, cancel their holiday to go in and cover up the workplace. But to what extent this has happened during the summer, politicians cannot respond until the investigation is done.

Hear more from Nurse Anja Holmgren and her colleague about the situation in the clip.