In the fall of 2020, a patient with abdominal pain came to the emergency room at Sollefteå Hospital by ambulance. Since 2017, the hospital has lacked, among other things, emergency surgery, and after an x-ray was able to rule out a perforation of the intestine and free gas in the abdomen, the patient is sent to Sundsvall Hospital for further treatment after a few days. hours.

The patient had then received pain medication, either in the ambulance on the way to Sollefteå Hospital or in the emergency department, but he was not completely pain-free. Despite this, the ten-mile transfer from Sollefteå to Sundsvall was made by mobile taxi, a mode of transport that lacks healthcare staff and therefore cannot provide medical care. Upon arrival at Sundsvall Hospital, the patient deteriorates significantly, is affected by pain and is transferred to the intensive care unit due to organ failure. Despite the repeated operations in which intestinal gangrene is diagnosed, the patient dies after several weeks.

A relative reported the incident to the Welfare and Welfare Inspectorate, Ifo, who wrote in its decision that the Västernorrland region did not meet the law’s requirements for quality care in the choice of transport “because the transport to Sundsvall Hospital was carried out by stretcher where any medical treatment of the patient was not possible”. The supervisory authority appreciates Also, the patient’s medical treatment in both Sollefteå and Sundsvall was otherwise reasonable.

Since the emergency surgery, emergency orthopedics and obstetrics have been discontinued at Sollefteå Hospital, patient safety risks have been discussed time and time again. The Medical Association of Angermanland commented a little over a year ago that it is still There was no basis for how to secure the transportation organization Regarding the austerity package that the region put forward after that, and the Evo delayed last fall Critical to the possibilities of dealing with patients with surgical diseases At Sollefteå Hospital.