SVT Norrbotten has recently reported on the crisis in the emergency department at Sunderby Hospital and how a cancer patient in the final stages of life remained in the emergency room for 14 hours.
The Swedish Health and Care Inspectorate (Ivo) has visited the emergency department several times over the years and noticed a number of different shortcomings that need to be addressed.
But according to Ivo's latest follow-up, the reception has not acted and rectified these shortcomings.
As a result, the emergency department is once again criticized for the fact that there are still serious risks to patient safety.
Palliative care patient in the emergency room
Part of Ivo's criticism is about the palliative care patients, that they stay for too long and that the measures to shorten the care periods are not complied with.
In an interview with a nurse, it was also revealed that a palliative patient died at the emergency room while waiting for a care place.
The Health and Care Inspectorate writes in its follow-up that they
"assess that the Region does not meet the requirements for good care (..) when they have to lie for several hours on a hard bed in the emergency room instead of coming to a care ward."
Another part of the criticism is that they have not followed up on how long patients with a decision on admission wait for the emergency department while waiting at the care site.
Ignores the deviation reporting
In interviews with nurses, which Ivo did in October 2021, it emerged that the staff had previously reported deviations if patients had to wait more than six hours in the emergency department.
Now this is no longer done and one of the reasons is that it is difficult to handle all deviations.
Ivo therefore notes that many measures that have been decided to shorten the care times in the emergency department do not work as planned.
By 30 September at the latest, the Swedish Health and Care Inspectorate wants the Region to report its attitude to the shortcomings identified by the authority, as well as any measures it has taken to rectify the shortcomings, otherwise it is threatened with a fine.
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In the clip, you hear chief physician Carl-Johan Westborg tell how the devastating situation at Sunderby Hospital could have been avoided.
Photo: Filip Hannu / SVT