It was very difficult to recruit nurses to the ward in the past.

Inpatient care was not something that attracted and the manager Marie-Louise Karlsson and staff began to think about a change.

Spot became the solution: Specialist psychiatric nursing teams that make home visits instead of the patient having to seek out the department.

Flexible care

This turned out to be the solution:

- We opened a large mobile team that worked towards the homes and the patients.

But we are flexible.

If a patient wants privacy from parents, for example, we can offer psychiatric care in other locations, says Marie Louise Karlsson.

Positive results

The results are striking.

The patient surveys show predominantly positive experiences - and the staff are also more satisfied.

- Many people now feel that they can use their skills in psychiatry.

Working with the patients in the homes also gives a better overview of what difficulties the patient may have in everyday life.

The first with Spot in the county was Sollefteå/Kramfors which started in September 2017. Then came Örnsköldsvik in February 2021 and since the turn of the year Sundsvall has also started a Spot department.

The politicians in the region also praise the activities within Spot.

Both in Örnsköldsvik and in Sollefteå and Kramfors:

- It is a fantastic business.

Both child psychiatry and the specialist psychiatric nursing team do a great job, says the chairperson of the Health and Medical Board, Elina Backlund Arab (S).

Hear Marie-Louise Karlsson, unit manager, about the change in the video:

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This is how psychiatry in Sollefteå manages to treat eight times as many people - hear from the head of psychiatric care, Marie-Louise Karlsson, about how specialist psychiatric nursing teams changed care.

Photo: Hans Lindblom/SVT

SKR interested

After the successful reorganization there has also been great interest from other regions and in December Marie-Louise Karlsson and her employees were invited to SKR, Sweden's municipalities and regions.

- We went down and presented our new form of care and several people have booked to come here and learn, says Marie-Louise Karlsson.

In the clip, Marie-Louise Karlsson talks about the business then and now.