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“We must not follow the guidelines”
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The Swedish Public Health Agency encourages all who can to do their homework. But in 1177 Vårdguiden, health care advisers are forced to be on site, even though the work can be done from home.
– We inform and pressure so that everyone follows the guidelines. But we shouldn’t do it ourselves, we shouldn’t work from home, says nurse Sofie.
According to the company that operates 1177 on behalf of the healthcare regions, this is impossible due to patient safety.
The Medhelp company manages the 1177 Vårdguiden health advice on behalf of all regions of Sweden. On the website, they describe themselves as Sweden’s leading player on the field.
When the pandemic took off in the spring, many nurses were hired from staffing companies to meet the growing need for healthcare advice.
But unlike Medhelp’s permanently employed nurses, staff employees cannot work from home. This is despite the Public Health Agency’s recommendations on the task whenever possible.
– Medhelp says it is not safe for the patient. But all of their nurses and part-time workers work from home. So obviously they have a technical solution, says Nurse Anna.
Several nurses Aftonbladet has been in contact with believe that it is for financial reasons that Medhelp does not allow them to work from home.
– I think it’s an economic incentive. They say it has to do with security. But I have a little trouble understanding how this works for Medhelp’s own staff, but not for us, says Nurse Sofie.
– We sit down and report, talk to sick people and push for everyone to follow the guidelines, but we shouldn’t do it ourselves. It feels like unnecessary risk taking and is extremely annoying. You are not so afraid of your staff.
Photo: Janerik Henrsson / TT
Large numbers of 1177 nurses have been hired to handle the growing need for medical advice during the pandemic.
Crisis situation for 1177
Several of the health counselors also testify to an unsustainable work environment with heavy congestion, lack of equipment, non-working ventilation, and a noise level that makes it difficult for patients to hear what nurses are saying in counseling.
At the same time, 1177 is in a difficult situation. Pressure on Vårdguiden’s covid-19 special line is as high now as it was at the end of March. But deficiencies in the work environment, and the fact that nurses stay home and do not go to work at the slightest symptom, mean that sick leave among hired nurses is high. About a week ago, seven out of nine nurses who would have worked at home.
– It feels very unnecessary when we have such an important role socially. This means that there are unnecessarily long wait times for patients. Still, we stayed home with mild symptoms, although most could have worked from home if we had the chance, says nurse Sofie.
Soap “felt like water” – many got sick
Even during the spring, many of the nurses on staff fell ill with covid-19. One of the nurses says that a corona infection was found in the office and that many became ill afterward.
At the same time, there was no soap and hand alcohol in Årsta’s office.
– This spring, when the pandemic was at its worst, there was nothing, no alcohol or soap, says Sofie. Then I brought mine to work. Now there is, but it came only after the summer.
– The soap was diluted, it was like washing with water. It was a disaster, says Nurse Carina.
The concern about being infected at work was and is widespread among the staff.
– It feels like this when you hear that colleagues test positive when you feel so close to each other. Especially when you know that the technical opportunity to work from home really exists. FFirst wave one could understand that it was widespread chaos. But now it should be possible to find a solution that is safe, says Anna.
According to the nurses, the facilities are not adapted to the number of personnel working on site during the pandemic.
– I don’t think it feels good at all. It’s so stuffy and it happens that people turn up who have nowhere to sit because there are too many people, says Sofie.
Photo: Claudio Bresciani / TT / TT NEWS AGENCY
Don’t make the equipment work at home.
The nurses that Aftonbladet spoke to say that many have chosen to change jobs, despite the great need for counseling.
– This spring I had to call 112 of precipices in the neighborhood, when people called with great difficulty to breathe. So all was quiet this summer, now people have started to get sick again. It feels like a very important job, but the work environment means I’m forced to apply more, says Anna.
Medhelp responds: “Great challenges”
The human resources manager of the Medhelp company, Geir-Erik Hyvärinen, comments on the information in writing. He writes:
– As for everyone in the healthcare sector, the pandemic has posed great challenges for Medhelp. For us, this has meant that we have had to bring in a large number of temporary nurses to cope with the heavy load of 1177. Since the nurses only work with us temporarily, they need to work from our office where they have access to technical equipment and systems. insurance that is necessary to perform the job. Of course, we are responsible for the work environment and we are constantly working to improve and create the safest and best possible work environment for everyone who works with us.
– During a period this spring, there was a shortage of hand alcohol in much of society and for a short period it also applied to us. We use ordinary hand soap and it should definitely not be mixed with water.
– We listen to the opinions of the hired nurses, but their manager is in the staffing company where they are employed. We have a close dialogue with the personnel companies and they have expressed that they are satisfied with the measures we have implemented, writes Geir-Erik Hyvärinen.
Footnote: The nurses in the article are actually called something else.
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