– Who should we believe in?

In an optimistic look in the Altaposten February 19, the CEO could. In Finnmark Hospital, Ole Hope states that now you see a lasting improvement in the finances of the Finnmark Hospital. The cause seems mainly twofold; Addition of extraordinary funds from the state and measures at the various clinics.

At the end of last year, we (also in Altaposten) could read that sick leave had decreased from 9.7% in 2023 to 9% in 2024. In addition, the use of hiring was reduced by 31 million from May to December 2024.

In order to make further savings, it is decided to cut 5.1 man -years at the intensive care unit in Hammerfest. An additional 8 man -years shall be cut at the emergency room, the children's ward, the food/gynecology department, medical bedpost and surgical/orthopedic department respectively. All this without compromising patient safety.

From the top of the pyramid, these nice numbers are probably to grab to save the reputation. But, how is it reacted from the side that stands in the daily work of meeting and treating patients?

The chief union representative for the Chief Association at Hammerfest Hospital, Torben Wisborg, calls the cuts a chance game, and that it is the patient safety now put into play. According to Wisborg, the capacity is already under severe pressure, and the new cuts cause the turmoil to grow among the employees of Finnmark Hospital.

The county leader in the Norwegian Nursing Association for Troms and Finnmark, Åshild Østlyngen, does not understand how they will be able to take care of the assignment as nurses in the new situation. According to Østlyngen, several people are considering their job and some have already accepted work elsewhere. This means that Finnmark is in danger of losing vital competence, which in turn is a danger to the population in Finnmark.

When it comes to sick leave at Hammerfest hospital, it is now as much as 10%. 2.5% above the goal that Helse Nord has set. Looking at the intensive care unit, sick leave is as much as 14.8%. Almost twice the target of 7.5%. Can high sickness absence be related to increased workload/responsibility as a result of the cuts and unrest at the hospital? The probability is great!

Who should believe when you get two such conflicting reality descriptions? Should one believe in management, certainly customized, accounting figures and assurance that « now everything is going so much better », or should we believe in the description those who work with the patients give? For me, the choice is easy! « There are those who have the shoe on, who knows where it is gnawing! »

When professionals such as Wiborg and Østlyngen are so clear in their warnings, it is worth listening to. I have no belief that they are going out with any kind of scare propaganda to « melt their own cake ». Those who do the practical tasks on a daily basis and who are constantly asked to « run more and faster » are those who can say something about how everyday life is perceived in the various departments. It does not help to say that union representatives have participated in discussions ahead of the cuts. My question is whether they have been heard or whether the discussions are just an alibi?

It is also a question of how long we will continue to listen to the narrative that is constantly presented by the management, that the cuts lead to more efficient operation and thus better patient care? Sorry, but I can't see the logical of fewer people leading to increased/better patient care. If the leadership could be so kind to explain this connection, then I'm « Leker ear »!

The fact that the clinic manager at Hammerfest Hospital, Tone Elisabeth Hansen, defends the cuts and believes it is talk of using the resources smarter is understandable. After all, it is her job to put into practice what the leadership over her has decided. However, what shines through is that ultimately the accounting figures decide what to do.

It is a job that needs to be done to satisfy the owners (the state). And then it goes as it goes with the patients (my comment)!

State Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Care Services, Karl Kristian Bekeng, comments on the matter in an e-mail to NRK, and says that Finnmark Hospital must, in line with other hospitals, operate properly within its available framework. It is really the same as saying nothing! What I read out of it is that Finnmark Hospital today does not have a sufficient framework to operate properly. Maybe the management (CEO and Chairman) should work more for increased frameworks instead of cutting staffing?

I have previously written that the quality of a hospital is not primarily determined by the sites or equipment that is inserted into the premises. What « does » a hospital is the ones who work there. If the working conditions of the hospital employees deteriorate, then the quality of the hospital deteriorates and it necessarily goes beyond the patients. Not because of unwillingness from the employees, but simply because they do not have good enough working conditions to fulfill their mission.

Finally a small cross of thought. Why has Finnmark Hospital managed to get such « good » accounting figures despite the negative trend we saw in the first half of 2024? Are we « victim » for moving numbers that make the result look better than it really is? Could it be that someone in the management wants a good result in 2024, so that they can step aside with the credit in mind? And that you push expenses ahead of you, and in this way leave the problems to those who come after?

The recent events make me start to feel insecurity for the health care system in Finnmark. Unfortunately, I no longer believe in the management's phrase that they work for people to be confident in getting high quality health care when they need it. They work to cover the leadership of the ministry. And what the Ministry has many times shown that they do not care about Finnmark's population.

Øyvind Seljeseth

Alta