According to Ivo, criminal or unscrupulous actors are trying to establish themselves in all areas that have been reviewed. And within several operations, criminal actors are already present.
Anna Karin Nyqvist is a unit manager at Ivo and says that the revoked permits in healthcare have increased as a result of the review.
Examples of unscrupulous or criminal elements include staff who completely lack competence caring for patients or handling medications in an incorrect manner, which can be dangerous for the patient. Several suspected frauds were also discovered during the review.
According to Peder Carlsson, department head at Ivo, cooperation between different authorities needs to be strengthened.
"We need additional tools to better reach the unscrupulous actors," he says in a press release.
Anna Karin Nyqvist agrees and means that these actors actively avoid supervision and are therefore difficult to reach.
We have expressed a desire to be able to conduct covert purchases or book appointments without having to call or send letters beforehand, since many unscrupulous actors then withdraw, she says.
It was at the beginning of last year that Ivo received two new assignments from the government to strengthen the work against criminal or unscrupulous actors in healthcare and social services.
The first report shows that several permits have been revoked for, among other things, HVB homes, support housing, and aesthetic operations. Over 130 actors have also been reported to the police or prosecuted.
In the beginning of 2024, Ivo will be assigned two new government assignments.
The assignments aim to strengthen the work against unscrupulous actors in social services, healthcare, and dentistry.
Both assignments will run from 2024 to 2026 and must be finalized by January 31, 2027.
Source: The Health and Social Care Inspectorate.
