– There are a number of calls that come to the 113 central that should not have come here, says Stephen Sollid. He is head of the prehospital clinic at Oslo University Hospital (Ous). They have been given much more to do in recent years. Large increase in 113 calls Last year alone, the operators at the AMK central had to answer over 273,000 emergency calls, the hospital’s own figures show. That is almost 40,000 more than two years ago. The number continues to increase this year. – And that is a bit strange, Sollid thinks. Because nothing indicates that people are sicker than in the pandemic year 2020. Sollid does not know for sure why more people call 113. But they notice one thing: More people who call say they have tried their GP or emergency room first. – But because they don’t get through, they finally choose to call 113. Stephen Sollid, head of the pre-hospital clinic at Oslo University Hospital, says they are also noticing the staffing crisis in the health care system in the municipality. Photo: Hanne Høyland / news 113 last resort You simply feel the GP crisis on the body: Many municipalities lack GPs. While others, such as Oslo, have enough GPs, but long waiting times to get in to see the doctor. If people cannot get hold of their doctor, or do not have a GP, they call the emergency room. This increases attendance at the emergency department. When people can’t get through there, the emergency number is the last resort to get an answer quickly. – Then there will be a significantly greater burden on our 113 switchboards, says Sollid. But he emphasizes that you should call 113 if you are seriously ill. More people at work – but… Last year there was a full-on crisis at the AMK central. With high sickness absence and many employees who quit. At worst, the center was so understaffed that the management threatened to order people to work. Since then, they have worked intensively to recruit more. And it has produced results. During the year, they hope to reach the target of 140 employees at the centre. – But now that activity is increasing disproportionately, we see that it may not be enough. Because they receive so many calls, the switchboard still does not reach the goal that 90 percent of the calls must be answered within 10 seconds. Nursing home staff call 113 The pre-hospital manager also has another concern: In Oslo, it often happens, and especially at weekends, that staff at nursing homes call 113. Every third call to a nursing home in the capital is unnecessary, Sollid believes. Because they do not end with the resident having to be taken to hospital or emergency room. But they can get the help they need there. – These are tasks that we believe should have been solved by the nursing home itself. But we understand that the nursing home service in Oslo is under pressure for resources, he says. Last year, the AMK center in Oslo received more than 273,500 113 calls. There are around 750 every day. That means an average of 31 emergency calls per hour – one every two minutes. In addition, there are other telephones, for example from other emergency services. This amounted to almost 200,000 calls last year. When the municipalities cut staffing to save money, or struggle to recruit, they eventually notice it at 113. – We are, in a way, the last stronghold in the healthcare system. – Sicker than before The Oslo leader of the Norwegian Nurses Association, Bård Eirik Ruud, recognizes himself. – Many times the nurses are left alone in difficult and complex situations. And then they may have to call 113, he says. And adds: – The same can happen in home care, where you work much more alone. Bård Eirik Ruud is county leader of the Norwegian Nurses Association (NSF). He is aware that staff at nursing homes can end up calling 113 when they are alone in difficult situations. Photo: Jon Fredrik Braadland-Konstali And the ambulance figures may indicate the same. Because there are also more and more calls to private homes that do not end with the resident being taken to hospital either. – Those who are in nursing homes today, and those who are at home and receive nurses from the municipality, are much worse off than they were before, says Ruud. Frustration both ways Ruud is well aware that these assignments create frustration for the ambulance service. – It is clear that there will be frustration when they see that they are taking action on things that could have been solved in other ways, he says. Sollid believes the frustration also goes in the opposite direction. – It probably happens so often that it goes the other way too. Especially at weekends, the ambulance regularly goes out to take care of sick residents in nursing homes. Photo: Stian Lysberg Solum / NTB Because the hospitals and municipalities are only responsible for themselves, it is easy for both parties to shift responsibility onto the others, he believes. In order to solve the problem, the healthcare system must either cooperate better across the board – or the organization must change, he believes. – For example, choosing to have one level of management in the health service, not two as today.
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Need to help nursing homes that have few people at work and people who cannot get hold of a GP – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
