In hiding from the Norwegian authorities and its own public clients, Unilabs sent tens of thousands of X-rays of Norwegian patients to a clinic in Romania. Now, eight months after news revealed the connection, the Norwegian Health Authority and the State Administrator in Oslo and Viken say that the case will not have further consequences for the actors. This causes politicians in the Green Party (MDG), Christian People’s Party (KrF), Red and Socialist Liberal Party (SV) to react. – It is completely incomprehensible that such a serious case is closed without the supervisory authorities actually assessing whether the law has been broken. Everyone would benefit from the legislation being clarified, says Seher Aydar, spokesperson for health policy in Rødt. – This case is an example of pulverization of responsibility, says Marian Hussein, spokesperson for health policy in SV. – I find it disturbing that Unilabs has sent the images out of the country, and believe that a thorough investigation of what happened should have been carried out, says KrF leader Olaug Bollestad. – It is not tenable that a public inspection says that it is not their aim to point out illegal conditions, says Ingrid Liland, deputy head of MDG. The Norwegian Health Authority replies that they prioritize cases with ongoing risk, and they believe that more supervision will not improve patient safety. Read more about the inspectorate’s assessments further down in the case. Haven’t assessed whether the practice was illegal. Health West and Health South-East did not like, to say the least, that Unilabs had for several years sent patients’ examinations at the public’s expense to Romania. In a letter, Helse Sør-Öst pointed out that Unilabs had acted in breach of the Health Personnel Act. Nevertheless, the Norwegian Health Authority and the State Administrator in Oslo and Viken have not assessed whether the practice was actually illegal. In a reply to news, the State Administrator wrote that further supervision was not necessary to contribute to patient safety and trust. Nor is it a goal in itself for the inspectorate to point out illegal conditions, pointed out assistant department director Thea Marie Lindquist Belseth. There are some of the health politicians that news has spoken to who deeply disagree. – The only consequence Unilabs has had is that they have had to break an agreement they should never have had in the first place. Trust is essential in the health services, and here Unilabs has broken trust in the worst way. The least we can do is investigate this matter thoroughly, says Rødt politician Seher Aydar. Seher Aydar is a Storting politician for Rødt. Photo: Mathias Moene Rød / news – More than just terminating the contract and everything continuing as before, we must get a review of the legality of what Unilabs has done here. The same can happen with another logo or another actor if clear boundaries are not set, says Marian Hussein (SV). Storting representative Marian Hussein (SV). Photo: n650143 / n650143 The politicians have sent written questions to Minister of Health and Care Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) about the matter. Why was the collaboration never caught on? In 2015, Unilabs won a tender with Helse Vest. Now they were to set up branches in Bergen, Stavanger and Haugesund. The problem was that Unilabs lacked radiologists to supply. The solution lay in Romania. – Instead of being honest about the situation, they have chosen to send the mission out of the country without saying anything. It is quite provocative, says Rødt politician Aydar. Unilabs sent around 170,000 Norwegian X-rays to a clinic in Romania for examination. Photo: Mapbox and news Should the healthcare organizations have caught on that Unilabs annually sent tens of thousands of X-ray images to Romania for interpretation? Yes, say the politicians. – I wonder how this could even happen, says Hussein. – This case has revealed that the control mechanisms do not work, says Aydar. MDG deputy chairman Liland believes the case should have been uncovered when Helse Vest gave Unilabs the assignment in the first place. – Here it seems that there has been a major failure in the control mechanisms, and we cannot live with this case remaining unresolved, says Liland. Green Party deputy leader Ingrid Liland. Photo: Mari Reisjå / news KrF leader Bollestad thinks it would have been good if the supervisory authorities went more thoroughly into the matter. – A review is absolutely necessary. When players like Unilabs enter into agreements with the Norwegian health service, we need to know that they have the capacity to do what they have to, says Bollestad. Olaug Bollestad is leader of the Christian People’s Party. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news The Norwegian Health Authority: The Norwegian Health Authority can and must establish violations The Norwegian Health Authority has read written statements from Unilabs and Helse Sør-East, where the actors describe what has happened and how the matter has been cleared up. Based on these letters, believes The Norwegian Health Authority that they know what has happened. Acting director Heidi Merete Rudi writes in an e-mail to news that Unilabs has taken responsibility by discontinuing a practice they were not confident about and which violated the requirements of the agreement they had with the health institutions. – The possible patient safety risk based on these conditions was thus removed, writes Rudi. Heidi Merete Rudi in the Norwegian Health Authority points out that there are no specific patient complaints in the case. Photo: John-André Samuelsen / John-Andre Samuelsen The Norwegian Health Authority’s director emphasizes that the Norwegian Health Authority can and must establish violations of the law when necessary. But the inspectorate has scarce resources, and must assess how thoroughly they should go into the investigations in order to function effectively as inspectors. – Then the focus must be directed towards situations and conditions where there is reason to believe that there is an ongoing risk that the safety of vulnerable patients is threatened, writes Rudi. She believes that it is the Directorate of Health and other legal interpreters, and not the Norwegian Health Authority, who are responsible for assessing whether Unilabs has acted illegally. – In our opinion, there are other means needed to clarify the legal situation related to a rapid technological development that enables the flow of services between countries, than if we had used resources to decide whether this specific discontinued practice was in violation of the law , writes Rudi. The Conservative Party and Frp believe the matter does not need political follow-up. Bård Hoksrud, the Progress Party’s health policy spokesperson, says that Unilabs’ practice of sending X-ray images to Romania “is not good”. But when the Norwegian Health Authority and the State Administrator in Oslo and Viken have closed the case, while no deviations have been found, Hoksrud sees no reason to follow up the case further. – Unilabs has ended the collaboration with the clinic in Romania. I relate to that, and I do not see that there is any basis at the present time to follow up the matter politically, says Hoksrud. Bård Hoksrud, the Progress Party’s health policy spokesperson. Photo: Christian Breidlid / Christian Breidlid news has been in contact with Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen (H), who heads the Storting’s health and care committee. She does not want to interfere in the supervisory authorities’ assessments, and therefore does not want to comment on the matter.
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The politicians react to the fact that the Unilabs case has no consequences – news Rogaland – Local news, TV and radio
