On the first of September, the Västerbotten Region will take over the ambulance service in Storuman, Vilhelmina and Vindeln from private actors.

In Storuman and Vilhelmina, the transition will take place without the ambulance paramedics who worked in the towns.

The staff sees major deteriorations

As it is now, the ambulance staff in Storuman have only worked to be on standby, but when the region takes over, they will be scheduled for work inside the health center - to then be on standby.

- After nine to twelve hours of active duty, I will be on standby at night, says Linda Jonsson, ambulance nurse in Storuman.

This is one of the things that Linda Persson and Linda Jonsson, two of the ambulance nurses in Storuman who resigned, see as a clear deterioration.

Will commute 20 miles

Both have now got a new job in the intensive care unit, iva, at Lycksele hospital, and will commute just over 200 km to and from the home in Storuman.

- When you compare the schedule that the region offers here on the ambulance with the schedule on iva, I will have more time with my family if I commute that distance, says Linda Jonsson.

Linda Jonsson and Linda Persson have tried to be involved and influence in the process of reorganizing the ambulance service.

They have emailed politicians and managers in the region, but this means that the answer they have received is that they are not employed by the region.

Takes in rental staff instead

The Västerbotten region has not succeeded in recruiting any replacements for the nurses in Storuman and Vilhelmina.

To resolve the situation, temporary relocations will be made and temporary staff will be brought in.

Is it a failure to hire staff when there are people with skills in the area?

- It is definitely something that is not good and we would have liked these employees to have chosen to follow the transition, says Jani Sundqvist, operations manager for ambulance care in Västerbotten.

The head of operations believes in the transition

Jani Sundqvist still sees advantages in the ambulance now being transferred to the region.

Among other things, he believes that there will be more cooperation with primary care and the ambulance will be ready to pull out in 90 seconds instead of five minutes.

- Considering the short time we had, we think we have done well.

Then the situation is not the best imaginable if you look at the staffing situation, but we will solve it.