Do I report my case to NPE or the county governor?
The county governor has authority to take action with regard to health personnel. NPE does not have this authority. We process applications for compensation and pay out compensation to those who are entitled to it.
We find that many claimants express that they do not want others to experience what they themselves have been through, and that the NPE should see to it that the doctor or others responsible get a reaction.
It is the county governor who assesses whether an error has occurred. If the state administrator believes that what has happened is serious enough, they pass the case on to the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision. They are responsible for further follow-up.
Compensation for patient injury
We consider claims for compensation from patients who have sustained an injury after being treated by the health service. The aim of the patient injury system is to ensure that patients who are treated incorrectly do not suffer any financial loss as a result.
When we investigate a case, the executive officer will consider whether there has been a failure of care and whether what has happened has caused the applicant to incur a financial loss.
Learning from mistakes
We always send a copy of our decision to the treatment provider, partly as feedback on the work of the treatment provider in order to bring about improvements. We want to help ensure that the health service learns from any mistakes that are made, but we do not have the authority to sanction health personnel who are involved in patient injuries.
Action against health personnel
If you are not going to seek compensation, but want someone to assess whether there is reason to criticize healthcare personnel or businesses that have treated you, you must contact the state administrator. They will give you more information about what you need to do.