The case in summary Norwegian municipalities spend millions of kroner annually on hospital stays for fully treated patients, which leads to longer hospital queues. Skien municipality is among the worst, with over NOK 25 million spent on invoices from Telemark Hospital last year. This is because the municipality is unable to receive fully treated patients who are to be transferred to institutions or receive municipal nursing and care services in their own homes. Telemark Hospital is experiencing high occupancy of the beds and increased sickness absence as a result of the situation. The municipalities’ inability to accept their own residents who need a place in a nursing home contributes to a health service that is in the process of falling apart, according to Lill Sverresdatter Larsen of the Norwegian Nurses’ Association. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content has been reviewed by news’s journalists before publication. According to figures from FHI, in 2023 a total of 80,725 overnight stays were registered at Norwegian hospitals. This concerns patients who have been treated and should have been living in a nursing home, or received nursing and care services at home. The daily price at Norwegian hospitals is NOK 5,080. The total bill for Norwegian hospitals thus cost the municipalities over NOK 410 million last year. – Some municipalities are struggling to accept fully treated patients. This particularly applies to Skien, which we have had challenges with for a long time. That’s what director Tom Helge Rønning at Telemark Hospital says. How to read the overview The overview is only based on months with five or more sleepover days in somatics. Overnight stays in psychiatry are not included. The overview is based on preliminary monthly data reports to the Norwegian Patient Register (NPR), at the so-called ward stay level. Final figures for the number of demurrage days may therefore differ from these preliminary figures. The statistics show the number of overnight stays per municipality of residence (registered municipality of residence at the start of the hospital stay), and per month. Source: Norwegian Institute of Public Health (FHI) High sickness absence In 2023, Skien municipality spent over NOK 25 million paying invoices from Telemark Hospital. In addition, the bill comes for residents who have so-called overnight stays at other hospitals. Rønning confirms that the occupancy of the bed posts is far too high. – This means that we have to add more resources which, among other things, results in us getting less time for outpatient services. Tom Helge Rønning is director at Telemark Hospital. Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news The hospital director understands that the employees experience a high workload and confirms that sickness absence has skyrocketed in the past year. – There is far too much demand in several areas, partly as a result of the municipalities not being able to accept patients quickly after treatment has ended. 528 in one month Karianne Hansen heads the committee for health and welfare in Skien municipality. The FRP politician, who is himself employed at Sykehuset Telemark, understands the boss’s concerns. – This is not just about kroner and øre, but about patients who deserved an offer from the municipality. Committee leader Karianne Hansen (Frp). Photo: Lars Tore Endresen / news Hansen nevertheless points out that a new nursing home and new routines at the municipality’s health center led to the number of overnight stays at Telemark Hospital falling towards the end of last year. – The figures now show that we are on the right track, says the committee leader. Figures from Telemark Hospital nevertheless show that the number of overnight stays for patients who are residents of Skien municipality was 131 and 107 respectively in November and December last year. Admittedly, this is a decrease compared to October, when Telemark Hospital invoiced Skien municipality for a total of 528 overnight stays. Want more employees Hansen is clear that the municipality should not use the hospitals as a kind of holding facility. – This is of course not how we want it to be. Here, the municipality has simply not delivered well enough for several years, she acknowledges. KrF leader Olaug Bollestad, who himself has a background as a nurse, believes that basic staffing in hospitals must be strengthened. KrF leader Olaug Bollestad. Photo: William Jobling / news – It is no surprise that sickness absence rises when the work pressure and responsibility become too great. It takes a toll on your health, both physically and mentally. – The health service is in the process of unraveling Leader Lill Sverresdatter Larsen of the Norwegian Nurses’ Association, not surprisingly, completely agrees. She believes it is a particularly unfortunate situation that many municipalities are not equipped to accept their own residents who need a place in a nursing home. – A nursing home place is not just a bed or a room, but that you actually have employees with the right skills who can look after those who need care and care services. Leader Lill Sverresdatter Larsen in the Norwegian Nurses’ Association. Photo: Ingvild Vik / news The union leader does not hide the fact that she has received a lot of feedback from despairing and worried members. – We are talking about a health service that is about to collapse, regardless of whether it is a hospital or a nursing home, states Sverresdatter Larsen. From 2019 up to and including 2023, the municipalities have spent more than 1.6 billion on sleepers.
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Spending millions on pre-treated patients – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
