The management at the country’s largest hospital will not promise protection of the provision for mentally ill children

It is still unclear whether an important service for children and young people with mental illness will be shielded in the ongoing budget cuts at Oslo University Hospital. SV threatens to withhold money.

In mid-January, it emerged that the child and youth psychiatric department at Oslo University Hospital (OUS) risks having to cut NOK 10 million.

Internal documents Aftenposten has seen show that the Children’s Section is among those at risk of cuts in the department. This is the department at OUS where children and young people with long-term and complex conditions receive help.

SV has asked the Minister of Health to come to the scene to protect the department, but she would not give any guarantees.

This is despite the fact that she said in January that the hospitals should shield mental health services in particular.

– The cut proposals that are commented on here are part of a process, and it does not make sense for me to comment on each individual proposal, said Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) to Aftenposten. She said she had confidence in the hospital management handling the matter.

Six weeks later, the hospital management refuses to be interviewed to answer questions about the handling.

In a written statement to Aftenposten, clinic manager Petter Andreas Ringen instead writes that his aim is to provide children and young people with “a good, future patient service”.

He does not answer questions about what cuts may be made at the Children’s Section and how it will affect the children.

Worried about the children

Aftenposten knows that the department discussed this year’s budget as recently as this week. The minutes from the meeting do not provide any descriptions of which cuts may be made.

Trade union representative Janne Marit Larsen has reason to believe that the cuts will affect the Children’s Section and thus affect some of the children who need specialized and extensive treatment measures.

– These cuts that are now being made will impair a specialized service for the most vulnerable children in Oslo, says Larsen. She is herself a psychologist and trustee for the Norwegian Psychological Association.

Larsen wants the Minister of Health to fulfill his promises about investing in mental health for children and young people.

– The government has promised to invest in mental health. But therefore does not intervene when there is a cut in an offer that affects the most vulnerable children.

She points out:

– We treat the children who do not get the help they need through outpatient treatment in the BUP system.

– There is always a preventive aspect when working with children. From a life-course perspective, there is both less burden on children and their families, as well as potentially large socio-economic savings by coming in as early as possible with more comprehensive measures, says Larsen.

Threatens to stop hospital millions

2.5 billion has been set aside to strengthen the hospitals in the state budget. In Oslo, billions are planned to be spent on a new giant hospital.

Now SV is threatening to withhold the share of Oslo University Hospital. They are concerned that the money should go to treatment, and that there are no cuts in health care for the population.

– Oslo University Hospital can only forget its share of the 2.5 billion in investments for a new hospital, as long as it comes at the expense of the city’s population, says Marian Hussein, health policy spokesperson for SV.

She asks the Minister of Health to step in to ensure the offer at the Children’s Section.

– We demand that the Minister of Health intervenes before the professional environment is razed. These cuts affect Oslo’s most vulnerable children and young people, says Hussein.

– The minister must answer whether it is she or the directors who manage the specialist health service, says Hussein.

On Saturday, Aftenposten has been in contact with the Ministry of Health and Welfare about this matter, but has so far not received a response as to whether they will comment on it.

Oslo University Hospital believes it is wrong that they are using the extra funds from the state to save for a new hospital.

– The claim that the extra funds go to new buildings is incorrect. In the situation we are in now, it is most important to get room for maneuver for necessary investments in the short term, says deputy managing director Morten Reymert.

The way the hospital acquires money for necessary investments is by operating with a profit, he elaborates.

– When this year we have budgeted only 50 million more, it means that we only put 50 million in the pot for future investments.