Høie: – We can not continue as today, changes need to – Dagbladet.no

(Dagbladet): For the first time since the state took over the hospitals get Parliament a national plan for development of hospital services.

The government is preparing for that 2030 will be one million more Norwegians, and that the average life expectancy will increase.

Modified

To meet this challenge, says Health Minister Bent Høie (H) that changes need to.

– We can not continue as at present, changes are required to have a sustainable health care forward. We need a backbone of hospitals ensures emergency and urgent care for all.

Increased capacity, better cooperation between hospitals, fewer bottlenecks, better ICT solutions and more experimental treatments are focus areas.

Decentralization

The Minister is convinced that a key answer is to walk away the basis of the idea that any hospital can be enough by itself.

– There will be a great loss for the people of local areas of hospital services centralized.

– We will have safe hospitals and better health care for all in Norway, regardless of where they live, told Health Minister Bent Høie (H).

This means that Norway should have a decentralized hospital structure. Plan divides hospital deals into four groups. Regional hospitals, large acute hospitals, smaller acute hospitals and hospitals with emergency shelters. Not all hospitals will have the same offer, but Høie stressed that all health authorities to have the same quality assurance and certification.

The changes may involve five hospitals could lose emergency functions. This applies to hospitals in Narvik, Lofoten, Volda, Stord and Flekkefjord.

Cooperate, do not compete

– Any hospital must work in teams and collaborate with other hospitals. The small hospitals should not compete with the large, but cooperate with them. What matters is that it is given the right help in the right place, says Høie.

The big hospitals will not take over the tasks that small hospitals can do just as well. Better cooperation and communication will help to remove the element of competition between hospitals.

– We must not deprive small hospitals living conditions, says Høie.

Staffing Needs

Increased staffing is a prerequisite for health services should be good enough.

– We are more elderly. Our hospitals need to have a much greater capacity to meet the health challenge in the future. I hope that many more will dream of working in the hospital sector and health services.

Several good surgeons is essential to make the most of new technology.

– New technology are more dexterous than the best surgeon, but it can not replace the surgeon.

New technology is extensive and costly, and is not something every hospital can offer. The most advanced technology will be centralized.

The patient at the center

One of the main goals of the plan is to shorten turnaround times and process locally those previously processed centrally. Høie are concerned individual adjustments and follow-ups.

– Patients can be diagnosed at major hospitals, but follow-up and medication they can get from smaller local hospitals.

A new and updated national health and hospital plan shall be submitted every four years.