– It is very unfortunate and problematic to have such a long waiting time for treatment, says Stine Albrigtsen. Anxiety, depression and eating disorders have been a part of the everyday life of the 27-year-old from Modum since she was 14 years old. – The way into treatment is too difficult, with referrals and paperwork. That’s too many steps. It’s taking too long. A little over a year ago, during the pandemic, she sought help again. This time from the District Psychiatric Center (DPS). But the wait was long. It took a year before she was referred to Lovisenberg Hospital. – In the worst case, life is lost. Years you could have been healthier if you got help within a reasonable time, but which disappears until waiting and potentially worsening of the situation, says Albrigtsen. The hospital: – Must prioritize In order to receive mental health care in the specialist health service, according to current regulations, you must first go to the GP, who must also give a referral. In many cases, patients have to wait a very long time. So far this year, patients at Lovisenberg Hospital have waited 58 days on average. The goal is that the waiting time will on average be shorter than 40 days for adults, and 35 days for children and young people. – This means that there is a prioritization between patients who can wait, and can not wait, says head of analysis at Lovisenberg Hospital, Per Arne Holman. Head of analysis at Lovisenberg Hospital, Per Arne Holman, says that there is a prioritization at the hospital. The waiting time is also longer than what the authorities recommend – less than 50 days. – The political ambitions for reduced waiting time are more ambitious than what the professional guidelines state as justifiable. Some patients have a condition where it is reasonable to wait longer than 40 days, although we want the waiting time to be shorter. The hospital does not want to comment on Albrigtsen’s case. But Holman says that when some patients experience a longer waiting time than two months, these are common reasons: The health service has started, but the patient is waiting for additional treatment. The patient has requested a postponement of the first hour notice. offers Focuses on mental health The government has on several occasions announced a so-called escalation plan for Norwegian hospitals. The goal is faster help and shorter waiting times. In January, the Minister of Health and Care Services, Ingvild Kjerkol (Labor Party), notified all Norwegian hospitals of prioritizing patients with mental illness. Minister of Health and Care Services Ingvild Kjerkol has asked Norwegian hospitals to prioritize patients with mental illness. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news – In the escalation plan for mental health, which we are working on now, we look both at the preventive work, and at how the help can be more easily accessible and closer to those who need help, says Kjerkol. Now the government is also starting a new public health campaign, called ABC for mental health. The goal is to increase knowledge about mental health, promote good health and prevent mental illness. – ABC for good mental health will be an important public health campaign to strengthen mental health after two years of pandemic, and now with war in neighboring areas that affect people differently, says the Minister of Health. Hi! We really appreciate that you have read all the way down here. Do you have any tips on what our next case may be about? Send us an email. We have written about this before:
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Waited one year for help from psychiatry – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
