– It is completely impossible for me to understand how politicians think when we are in the situation that inpatient places are allocated to psychiatry and addiction, says Morten, who is a patient at the non-profit foundation Valdresklinikken in Nord-Aurdal. He pointed out that Valdresklinikken probably has the best results in the country when it comes to keeping people drug-free. Morten says the clinic treats the whole person, over six months, where they come to grips with their own feelings and all the consequences that come from drug addiction. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news – Drug addiction is a disease, and the way Valdresklinikken receives you is absolutely fantastic, says Morten. That the Valdresklinikken will be closed was revealed after a board meeting on Monday 27 November. As a result, 30 employees, spread over 17 man-years, will lose their jobs. Morten and other patients no longer receive treatment there. He says the clinic has been absolutely decisive for him to remain drug-free. – And that I can come out of this as a whole person and contribute to society as a resource, says Morten. The clinic is closed down when they have no more money to cover salaries for employees. This could mean operation until January or February 2024, according to daily manager Hoviosen. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news – Regrettably Daily manager Grethe Hoviosen at Valdresklinikken says that by closing Norway will lose a unique treatment center where people are on a waiting list for months to enter. – Of 38 former patients who were admitted in 2017 to 2022, 22 of those patients are drug-free, says Hoviosen. The reason the clinic is being closed is, according to day-to-day manager Grethe Hoviosen, that the Valdresklinikken has come to a standstill due to the agreements on the purchase of places from the health company. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news Hoviosen says Valdres is losing a very important workplace with a very specific high level of expertise in drugs and drug treatment. Mayor Knut Arne Fjelltun (Sp) in Nord-Aurdal is sad about this. He says it is demanding for the municipality to find jobs for the 30 who are now losing their jobs, also because this applies to specialist expertise in drugs. Mayor Knut Arne Fjelltun (Sp) in Valdres wins Valdresklinikken has been an important workplace with high quality services and good treatment results. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news The mayor sees a challenge in the fact that politicians have little influence on health initiatives. – You criticize your own government? – I don’t want to criticize, but we have challenges in relation to non-profit foundations, says Fjelltun. – It was said that when free choice of treatment was changed at New Year, this should not apply to private institutions, but it seems that it does? – It was said that the company should buy places in its area, so the Valdresklinikken lost many people who were connected to Helse Vest, among others, so it is very regrettable. Got a reduced number of patients Hoviosen says that the closure comes after Helse Vest decided in 2022 that they would no longer send patients out of their region. As a result, the number of patient places at Valdresklinikken was reduced from 21 to 11 from New Year 2023. This meant that the number of employees was reduced from 24 to 17 full-time employees. Ola Jøsendal, who is assistant professional director at Helse Vest, says that they have not said that they will not send patients out of their region: Ola Jøsendal is assistant professional director at Helse Vest RHF. He says they no longer needed to have ten places at the Valdresklinikken. Photo: Jorunn Busk / Helse Vest RHF – However, we have no need to buy, on long-term contracts, a specific volume that would almost have forced us to send patients out of the region. From a professional point of view, I would like the treatment to take place as close to the home town as possible for the patients. The agreement on the remaining 11 treatment places is with Helse Sør-Öst RHF, and should last until 2024, if the clinic was not closed down. Hoviosen believes the clinic could have been run with several places. Want guest places Places Health Sør-East RHF cannot use can be offered as guest places. This has been in demand from both Helse West, Helse Midt and Helse Nord, according to Hoviosen. – We have to distinguish between what are fixed long-term contracts and what is a stand-alone case, says Jøsendal at Helse Vest. Since Helse Sør-East RHF has used all the places, the clinic is not offered guest places. Hoviosen believes that halving the number of patients makes it impossible to maintain a good enough professional environment, and the cost per patient will be too high. As a result, the Valdresklinikken does not get to drive until a new round of tenders that applies from 2025, and therefore the Valdresklinikken wishes that Helse Sør-East RHF should increase the number of places. Executive director Mona Stensby at Helse Sør-East RHF writes that they have carried out several measures to expand the treatment capacity within drug treatment and that there are several of the other contractual partners they have that have large unused capacity. Photo: Helse Sør-East Executive director Mona Stensby at Helse Sør-East RHF writes in an e-mail that they do not have the opportunity to extend the agreements with individual actors as the Valdresklinikken wishes, and that it is not allowed in accordance with the current regulations. – We must follow the procurement regulations and practice equal treatment, writes Stensby. If you lose important skills, Hoviosen believes that the treatment model, the 12-step program that they run at the clinic, provides absolutely decisive help in getting a change of life and sobriety in place. Valdresklinikken follows the 12-step program which follows up patients over two years. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news – With the closure of the Valdresklinikken, a unique professional environment will be lost, and the knowledge-based practice, and the research basis that the Minister of Health is asking for, will be impossible to contribute to when it comes to the most relevant treatment methodology, says Hoviosen. Hoviosen says that this 12-step program is internationally considered to have the best effect for alcohol addiction. Photo: Lars Erik Skrefsrud / news She says the staff are very caring on behalf of the patients. – They feel that there is a terribly ugly discrimination of the patient rights of drug addicts and their families, says Hoviosen. news has asked the Ministry of Health what a lost offer would mean. So far they have not responded.
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Valdresklinikken shuts down – news Innlandet – Local news, TV and radio
