51
Results in 2015
Confidentiality of contact with health personnel, and the role of health personnel
Ålesund Police Custody Facility
After a visit in March 2015, the Ombudsman recommended that the accident and emergency unit in
Ålesund should ensure that it never conducts medical examinations that are, or are perceived as, an
approval of the detention in the custody facility. The accident and emergency unit should also have a
camera available so that any injuries sustained by detainees can be documented by the doctor in the
patient records. Furthermore, it should not be possible for the police to hear what is being said in the
patient room. Nor should it be possible for the police to see what is going on in the patient room, unless
the health personnel for security reasons so requests in special cases.
››
››New guidelines have been drafted for the accident and emergency unit’s doctors in Ålesund, which
provide guidance on how to cooperate with the police in a way that is fully compliant with the principles
of medical ethics. The accident and emergency unit has also stated that it will purchase technical
equipment to better safeguard the patient’s right to confidentiality and the need for documentation in
serious cases. Among other things, it will buy a camera to document injuries and hearing protection
with radio for police officers to use if security considerations require the police to be present during
examinations.
Patient rights
Diakonhjemmet Hospital
After a visit in February 2015, the Ombudsman recommended that patients were given verbal and written
information about use-of-force decisions and access to the concrete grounds for the decision (the
record entry). It was also recommended that patients were given an opportunity to include their own
comments in the use-of-force records following any incident involving the use of force, and that they are
granted access to information in their records concerning the incident.
››
››The hospital has introduced a new procedure for ensuring that patients receive verbal and written
information about the use-of-force decision and the grounds for the decision. The record entry is now to
be enclosed with the letter to the patient about the use-of-force decision so that the patient also receives
information about why the decision has been made. It has also been decided to scan the use-of-force
records into the patient’s electronic patient record. This will make all the information about the use
of coercive measures available to the patient. The patient will also have an opportunity to provide
comments, which will also be scanned and entered in the electronic patient record.
Select target paragraph3
Connect to a paragraph
Connect to an entity
Disable highlights
Add to table of contents