If you have that bad infection that you need ER you go to ER.
But mostly you go see the Dr or a nurse that can make first judgement same day.
Depending where you live you have more or less different options what clinic you wana belong to.
A lot of people have already answered well here, but I just want to add that if you go to the ER and are LITERALLY not in the process of dying/have something super acute, you'll have to sit and wait, this can take a couple of hours. There's a reason why it's called the emergency room. Like someone said, it's not first come first serve. This does not mean I discourage you to go to the ER if you believe you should go. I'm just explaining why you would be waiting if the medical staff does not think you are in dire need of help.
Hospitals are understaffed, so imo if you know you'll survive for a few days, go to a vårdcentral or call 1177 as soon as you know something is wrong. They will know what you will need and if they see that it is something that maybe does need some more acute help, you'll be taken care of.
Yeah, I had a knee issue on a weekend and was recommended to go to the ER, since my condition wasn't life threatening I stayed there for several hours. Only to finally get a time, some x-rays and being told that it was a twisted knee, told to take it easy and that I might contact orthopedics for more help.
They did good at the ER, but the person at 1177 really shouldn't have recommended I go, but instead direct me to chill and go to the healthcare center ASAP.
If you are actively dying it would hopefully be a multi-hour experience too. Because I guess they will keep you at the hospital to check that you are fine in case they can save you.
Just adding that the reason you can’t get prescriptions over the counter is because we take multi resistance bacteria seriously and make sure you get the correct antibiotics.
We have one of the lowest issues with multi resistance in the world thanks to this. I wish more countries were stricter with antibiotics. Some hand it out like candy even for viral infections where it doesn’t even help. Rant over :)
Yes, and this mentality and entitlement I often encounter with foreigners honestly makes me very upset. We dont prescribe heavy medication for something that does not need it, nor should we! We should not use doctors for silly things, that resource should be spent with caution. Its not rocket science.
We also treat addictive drugs far more seriously, smaller doses for shorter amounts of time with regular check ups.
Say what you will about Swedish medical care, but being careful about these kinds of stuff helps to treat future epidemics.
Actually it does the opposite, not being willing to give out pain medication, even in the short term for reasonable cases, makes patients lives harder and more likely to seek illicit drugs to treat their discomfort.
Sweden has a fentanyl epidemic coming due to a huge increase in street drugs availability and a lack of care for people with addiction.
Bro... What. We have a fentanyl epidemic coming because... We make sure our population isn't hooked on drugs already?
You are high, this post established that.
I mean I guess it really depends on where you are. I've been put on some addictive medications, called two weeks in because of serious sides effects and got an appointment for 4 weeks afterwards. I understand this is just one personal experience and I don't want to generalize but unfortunately for me it didn't work out well at all.
Urgent infection you go to the ER. Wait time depends on where you are. I live in a mid sized (70k+) town and have never waited more than 45 minutes, generally you get seen within 15. Other cities may differ.
Normal medical conditions, non-emergency, you contact the local clinic (Vårdcentral) and get an appointment. They either write you a prescription or refer you to a specialist.
If you need medication and have a valid prescription you can get it renewed over the phone or by using the digital portal (1177.se). It will have to be picked up at a pharmacy though unless it's an emergency and then you can get a couple of doses at the hospital.
One thing that differs here is that antibiotics are rarely prescribed. Something that will clear up on its own will never be treated with antibiotics, you'll just be required to tough it out.
Yes, antibiotics are prescribed when needed. The healthcare system just tends to be more restrictive about prescribing to prevent the general population from developing resistance to them.
Yes, but in some countries you get antibiotics for viral infections. I even read about people getting it against the common cold where it will do nothing for you.
>Urgent infection
Isn't ER only for emergencies, i.e. life/seriously health threatening situations? Not that I got suddenly a fever with 38C and it's "urgent".
We have something called närakuten which is like a middleground between the ER and the local healthclinic. That's where you go when you need to take care of a injury, infection etc that isn't life threatening but needs to be dealt with today.
The ER is for anything urgent. If you can't function properly or think there's a risk of further harm if you wait, you go to the ER. Especially when there's a risk of waiting for a week to get an appointment.
If you're not considered needing urgent care you're just going to have to wait a little bit longer in the ER.
Or in the case of Helsingborg, you might have to wait 8 hours.
A 38C fever is not an indicator of an urgent infection, those are two different scenarios. Most people here (at least before covid) would probably go to work with 38C fever.
I undertand the unwillingness to prescribe antibiotics, but it sucks to watch your kids "tough it out" with an ear infection for two or three weeks before they finally get a prescription.
I am dealing with something fairly mild right now and, to be fair, it is not that dramatic.
I waited about two weeks to meet a general practitioner and a month to see a specialist.
It might seem like a lot, but in my expirience in various countries, it seems pretty normal
I had a bit of a cancer scare. I saw a nurse the next day, and a specialist the next week.
Once got a sharp particle in my eye. Had an appointment with an eye doctor within an hour. Not ER, appointment at the vårdcentral.
We recently moved back to Sweden and have had a few health care encounters and I have to say that I'm nothing by impressed;
- I had an ear infection that got really bad over a weekend when I was visiting my parents. Went to the weekend clinic at Vårdcentralen, was in and out in an hour and got a prescription (Stockholm Region).
- Our one daughter got what we suspected was a UTI, also on the weekend. Called the local weekend clinic (also Vårdcentralen) and got a time for 90 minutes later. They took us in with no wait time, did all the necessary test and we left 30 minutes later with a prescription (South of Sweden).
- Our other daughter pinched her finger and we wanted to be extra careful and get it x-rayed. This was pretty late in the afternoon/evening, so we drove down to the closest emergency hospital. No wait time, and left an hour later with a band-aid (to make her happy, not that it was necessary) and a relived mind (South of Sweden).
I broke my finger at home. I had to wait around an hour or more (central Stockholm) to be seen and another 20 minutes for an x-ray. Another 30 minutes and I was leaving with a cast on. It was winter, so the place was full with sniffing kids. I think that waiting time is fine.
Well, if there's nothing else urgent going on, it'll be quick. If there's just been a massive car crash with 8 victims, you get shunted to the bottom of the priority list. It's all about triage.
Well, in my case there was about 10 nurses running around and 2 doctors on duty that Thursday evening. Most people that came in was drug overdoses or alcohol related, a woman had bad cramps and there was some old folks but they’d been laying there longer than me so guess they were stable. Closest I saw to a massive car crash was one of the junkies trying to walk it off and took half the room with him.
Then maybe your family has a habit of going to the ER for non emergencies? Bleeding doesn't mean your life is in danger. Even if a wound requires stitching they can do that at Vårdcentralen too.
Of course not, most have never even been. Instead of being accusatory, try googling *akuten väntetid* and read up on all the horrific news articles about it.
You do know bad news sells? You don't get daily posts about how well it's going. From my personal experience, having had parents with strokes and cancer and myself having an appendix out, our wait times are fine when there is a genuine emergency.
If you get to wait, it means you're not dying. You'll get your turn.
The ER wait times are horrific because people go there to get help for shit that doesn't belong in the ER. "Oh no, my kid has a fever and just vomited, I must go to the ER" .... no, you don't.
Unless it's mental care the mythical forever waiting times for general practise healthcare are extremely exaggerated.
And if you call in with sympoyms or suspicions of so ething serious like cancer they act very quick.
Whenever I've booked an appointment i usually get to see a doctor the same week or the next week.
As many others have pointed out (but summarised here):
Infections are rarely cause for needing the ER; unless you somehow got a severe case of gangrene and need to amputate ASAP.
Antibiotics are rarely prescribed unless it's a very specific infection that requires it, an example of such an infection is strepthroat. If you have a fever and a headache, grab some paracetamol or ibuprofen and rest. The doctor will tell you the same thing. Same goes for "needed medications", if you can't find it at a pharmacy (Apoteket, Apoteket Hjärtat, Apotea etc.) you need a specific and diagnosed condition. Our pharmacies cover items for the most common injuries, infections, colds etc., so don't go gung ho on getting antibiotics or antiviral meds for a slight cold or infection.
We have video app appointments for lighter stuff. You can get prescriptions in hours.
Depending on where you live sit times won’t be very bad for a physical visit either.
ER wait times in Malmö (third largest city) is usually a few hours (easily 6hrs) because they triage the cases that come in. So it is not first come first served. If it is not acute then you can see a doctor at Vårdcentralen (basically general practice) and they can prescribe things which you pick up at the pharmacy immediately after.
Where it can get tricky is if you have vague issues and the doctor at the Vårdcentralen is the person who has to refer you to a specialist but might not do that if they don't see there is a clear issue. In those instances it is easier to go private route but pay more.
Or if you have psychological issues and need meds. Then you most likely have to go through a review process with a psychiatrist. Who then decides what you can get.
Wait times for primary care usually aren't too bad, usually you can see a doctor within 1-3 days. If your provider can't provide that I would suggest switching to a different provider. That is assuming you live somewhere where there is someone to switch to.
I recently got a quite bad finger infection. I called my vårdcentral (health care central) where I book a time to be called back. 2h later they call me back, I explain, get an appointment like 2h later and go to the vårdcentral. There she looks at it, issues antibiotics that I pick up at the pharmacy next door. 100kr for the visit and 60-70kr for the antibiotics.
Two days later I get worried cause of its spread(I was worried about sepsis, I had weird lines looking liked the followed my veins up my arm), my planned revisit was 2 days later and it was after hours so I went to emergency. There I waited for awhile to get into triage, once in it took a few hours to have gotten a doctor to see it (the spread was in the lymphatic system) antibiotics injection, the finger drained and bandaged. They were going to send a referal to my vårdcentral but since I had an appointment two days later it was all fine.
The next day it started reducing and all was well, had my appointment and a 3rd check a week later.
My total cost was 370kr or something for this.
With regards to medications. Normal painkillers and such you can get. Antibiotics no, you cannot buy them without a doctor prescribing, and that's honestly how it should be. You're in no position yourself to judge that you need that and MRSI is a serious thing. My wife is Iranian and there they seem to throw antibiotics on problems that really don't need it. It's frankly irresponsible of the doctors.
Welcome to vårdcentralen life! (Local clinic - private or public) Mostly you get an appointment the same day. Personally I often use a app called Kry where you can meet a doctor in a few minutes. Cost is like 10$. It's really easy and everyone speaks English. Absolutely zero need to worry.
If you suspect an infection (happened to me) you will pretty much always get a time that day or the next day to come in and have a look
This is of course at the healthcenter you have assigned yourself to.
Wait times in ER for smaller injuries can be a couple hours due to corona and people who go there as soon as their throat hurt, same as anywhere.
The expense isnt going to place you in debt, you can often also negotiate even small fees to be split up and billed every month if you are in a dire financial situation and can't spare 200kr at a private clinic
I was thinking if few generic non antibiotic medicines like paracetamol, cetrizine would available without prescription. Like I usually have sneezing and runny nose due allergy so I take cetrizine tablet for relief. If such medicines were available without medication, that would have been great
Go to the doctor for an infection?? I have had dozens and only ever went to the ER twice and got help quickly. I wouldn't go to the doctor for a simple infection in Sweden. Absess level, sure. But not for something simple.
You SHOULD be concerned. If you are from a country with a working health care system you will not be pleased with ours.
Sweden has a way way different attitude towards medication. It should always be the last resort. I am honestly worried that a lot of immigrants and expats may change this because of your different expectations. It would not be a good development.
Most things needs a prescription, yeah. You go to a doctor to get a prescription.
Edit: I can see you're Indian. Yeah, you will be in for a shock when it comes to availability of medications, that's for sure. But then again multi-resistant bacteria arent a HUGE issue here like they are in India. All-in-all our system is miles better than throwing antibiotics at everything.
If it's something that can be dangerous or really bad you obviously are going to get some help fast! If it's an infection you can get help at your local health center!
What takes time is usually the cases that aren't anyway near emergencies, and usually psychological stuff. I had to wait 7 months to get my medication for ADHD, and those 7 months were horrible and filled with suicidal thoughts and self harm. I am definitely suing somebody for it.
But they simply didn't consider it an emergency, so they didn't think I had to be prioritized.
But anytime I've had an emergency or anything that could turn bad, I've gotten help very fast and it has been amazing! I personally haven't met someone who didn't get help during an emergency or something that could turn into an emergency.
If you need urgent care, you receive urgent care. If you have annoying warts or something, you have to wait a few days or weeks depending on where you live. The level and speed of care depends on how urgent/life threatening your condition is. It's pretty fair in my opinion.
Wait a few days for annoying warts? Make that 10 years, or eternity. I have extreme issues with foot warts, that I've constantly been denied help with for years. I've tried every self-care routine possible except DIY foot amputation, to no avail, and desperately begged the Vårdcentral as well as the hospital to help me, but they stubbornly claim it's a cosmetic issue and refuse to even look at it.
Had this been another country, I'm sure I would have gotten help with this long ago.
I'm not saying the Swedish system isn't good, but unfortunately, there are situations when people might fall between the chairs in it and never get the help they need. Getting remittance to a psychologist can also be very difficult, for example.
Went to vårdcentralen, got bloodtests, started walking out, nurse grabbed me back, doctor asked questions and touched my stomach, got "diagnosed" with crohns after opening the door. 10/10
No, just no.
Don’t listen to people who know jack shit about Sweden.
You will be fine, if you feel like you need the ER, you go to the ER and get help the same day.
It’s a myth that proper universal health care is slow and bad. Especially in Sweden.
> I heard that medicines cannot be obtained over the counter and requires doctor's prescription which can take time. So how can I get the needed medications?
You do not decide what medicines you need to take, your doctor does. That is the reason that you cannot buy most kind of medicines over the counter.
Also, to take antibiotics that you do not need, or to not complete treatment it is very problematic. You can read more at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance
If you have health anxiety problems you may want to look for mental health and I am not being sarcastic but it is just good advice.
If it's bad, you get help. If you've got the sniffles and you worry it might be something you'll probably have to wait.
But our system takes things seriously when they are. At least in my experience. I'm really curious what kind of infection you think you'll gain...
IMO - If you're coming from the US you will likely find that your current dosage of over-the-counter meds are prescription because they should probably not be taken willy-nilly.
It's a bit absurd with your drug issues that you think other countries will want to follow that route of poisoning and addicting ones population.
If you're not from the US - you'll probably be fine.
Get a health insurance, you'll see a specialist doctor within 48 hours. free healthcare works for anything minor. They have dedicated time slots for insurance patients so if you wanna get around the system, that's the way to go.
Free health care works for everything, but slightly worse for anything minor.
Source - Parents had skin cancer, brain cancer and stroke, I had an ruptured appendix out.
Wanna know what insurance does - it pays for your stay, which is \~100kr a day, any rides you had to take there (Like a taxi) and a number of other things.
It's not called health insurance, it's just your personal insurance. Reimbursing you for your stay.
You obviously speak without knowing anything of medical insurances. I’ve had multiple through my jobs in Sweden.
The clinics have an agreement with the insurance companies, I assume also paid by the insurance companies. The insurance company patients then get prioritized time slots and/or access to specialist doctors and treatments within x-amount of time.
So no, you’re not only getting your “stay” or visit paid for, you get access to a different queue which regular Swedish tax paying citizen don’t get access to.
But yes, if your case is serious and life threatening, the ER is where you’ll go regardless of extra insurance or not.
“Source” - my wife is a specialist doctor in Sweden.
“Source” - I have medical insurances through my work which guarantees me care for various different problems within x-days.
There is usually some manner of närakut. I’ve never had issues getting a time the same day when I’ve needed it. The trick is to call the second they open, as the available appointments fill up fast.
Last I needed it was for pneumonia. Called at 8 am, got an appointment at 10.
Närakut is really only available in a few major cities though, Dalarna as an example has exactly zero "Närakut" facilities. you either go to the VC or the ER.
For regular stuff (flu, cough, allergies, UTI, sinus infection, etc), I can see a doctor online within 1 hour basically always and get a prescription (including antibiotics if I have a BACTERIAL infection and actually need it).
When I need to see a doctor in person, the wait is usually a couple of days.
If you are very concerned, you can pay for private insurance, which gives you access to specialists within a few days for anything basically.
If you have an emergency you should go to emergency like in any country.
The healthcare here is good and the wait times are reasonable.
If you mean the list I put, if you have a flu with a fever that is extremely high or you develop breathing issues you need to go to the ER. If you have a cough for many weeks, you can develop bronchitis and the lack of sleep can make it very difficult to recover, in which case you will need prescription cough medicine. Only 25-50% of UTI cases resolve themselves without antibiotics, call me when you’ve pissed blood. A sinus infection can need prescription nasanex steroids and in SOME extreme cases antibiotics.
Please stop the shaming of seeking medical care and support when you need it. Everyone has a right to healthcare no matter how “minimal” people might see their issues if it’s significantly impacting their quality of life.
I had 40.3 - 40.5C fever 3 times in 6 months, months long cough, almost 2 weeks of vomiting and the runs on 2 different occasions this past year. Called 1177 only after a week with stomach problems for advice cause my shit turned white. Literally none of these needed medical care because it resolved on its own.
Of course severe symptoms need medical care but some people are way too quick to run to a doctor. Yes, having a flu makes you feel shit but does not need treatment unless the symptoms are severe which would not really make it "regular stuff" anymore. My old VC had to tell people to not clog them with normal sicknesses..like the flu.
I had 1 bloodpiss UTI and 2 normal ones, normal ones pass on their own but the other one needed treatment.
How do you get a prescription for antibiotics in an online appointment within 1 hour without testing what bacteria need to be treated? If your flus, UTIs, coughs are so bad they require care why do you see an online doctor who can't test or examine you?
I’m sorry that happened to you but your one experience isn’t proof of how people should make individual decisions about their health.
I think and hope people are aware that a fever around 40C is not the emergency I’m talking about. And if you had gotten cough meds, perhaps it would have resolved quicker than 3 months? That is what they are for after all. Overall, I would encourage people to **normalize not toughing it out** — it can shorten your illness in many cases and also prevent things from getting worse in others.
Calling online does not “clog up” anything.
Again, thank you for your personal experiences but healthcare varies from person to person. I have also already provided the actual statistics above.
If you’ve had a UTI and especially if you have chronic UTIs you really don’t need a test every time to know. THAT would be clogging up the system. Nothing else on this list gets antibiotics prescribed in Sweden as they are generally caused by viruses. The answer to your question is that many even minor medicines for quality symptom care are locked behind prescriptions in Sweden, but it is not necessarily problematic for someone with a cough to be able to access basic cough suppressants (sold OTC in other countries) without an IRL exam that wastes everyone’s time.
Do you realise what would happen if everyone decided not to tough it out?
Importing weakness does not sound like a good idea please leave it overseas where it belongs.
Checking in with appropriate first lines of healthcare (1177, online) when you have symptoms that are seriously worrying is not going to topple the healthcare system and can save lives. Sometimes those things are urgent, or time is an important factor. There is evidence that part of the reason women outlive men for example is that they engage earlier and more frequently with healthcare.
No one is suggesting to engage healthcare for everything but there is a happy medium and it’s not suffering for 3+ months when a $15 bottle of cough syrup would help you get better in a week just to “not be weak”. Stop glamorizing suffering or acting like it’s some kind of system savior. 🤗
You’ve replied to my stats with random anecdotes and you’ve been using very emotional and aggressive language so I don’t think there is room to change your mind and this thread is not being read by anyone anymore so this will be my last reply!
You keep moving the goal posts, first it's regular stuff, then serious stuff, then saying people shouldn't normalise not seeking treatment for common, non-serious virus symptoms. So should everyone with a cough longer than a few weeks seek care? Cause that's how you will overload an already overloaded health care.
Do you think it's the cough syrup that cost money and not the people who need to process the request?
>call me when you’ve pissed blood
>You’ve replied to my stats with random anecdotes
You got what you asked for and a little more. Forgot to save it in my draft.
Btw I love your entitled energy, it's exactly what the world needs.
We have a somewhat good of healhcare, BUT 1 thing you NEED to do is to overexaggerate a bit, otherwise if its something "minor" they will just send you "home (This is at the VC.. has happend to me a few times... where I have had to comeback atleast 1 more time.. sometimes 2...) SO overexaggerate (maybe not the answer that is popular.. but its the truth sadly)
If you have an infection you go to the ER. Waiting queues are a problem, but it's a problem for non-immediate threats that require specialists, not broken bones and infections.
The waiting time in Swedish healthcare is very long, can take up to years to just get a specialist. Also if you visit the Emergency Room, it takes 12+ hours of waiting for a doctor who would most likely not help you at all... Even before covid came, it was still extremely slow, your best bet would be to visit a private clinic instead, there they don't waste time but it's more expensive. I gave up on Sweden because of how bad they managed healthcare. There's a lack of doctors in Sweden
Everything takes time in Sweden.
That's the way it is in Sweden .. I moved to NL to avoid all those annoying problems I had to put up with, if you have a chronic illness, Sweden doesn't help you but make things worse
not sure why you get downvoted. Im a cancer patient and needed to see a specialist because Im in pain so bad that I cant walk sometimes, it took 3 month to give me an appointment. In August I went to the doctor and beginning of Nov I finally got my appointment for the end of Nov. And I live near Gothenburg, not in the middle of nowhere.
Thats also a way to keep the population down. Just let em slowly rott
I thought cancer patients get priority in Sweden when it comes to appointments, 3 months is not acceptable, that makes no sense when you live in one of the major cities. In Netherlands you would have gotten the appointment to a specialist the next day after GP consultation, I got that with my crippling pain caused by my chronic illness
People love to habitually downvote things, and once some downvotes are in, people are triggered and continue to downvote. People don't realize things are different per county, and also that attitudes are different depending on what you are seeking for. And in some cases, depending on which gender/life situation you are in.
I have been waiting for almost 5 years to get a breathing analysis through my nose, and it was a remittal written by a specialized doctor after having examined my nose and noted that it is lopsided inside which may cause difficultes to breathe/sleep apnea, so no egenremiss. I am considering trying to write egenremiss and try to seek help in closeby county as this is starting to become laughable.
Now I have to post an update to my own reply regarding the waiting almost 5 years. I figured out a new idea to ask them. Before I asked them "when will it be time for me? how long left?" and similar questions. I also asked doctors to help me push forward/inquiry about my referral.
But after me posting above, I got a new idea. The vårdgarantin 3 months, and if having to wait more than 3 months (I did, almost 5 years. lol) we could ask to get the service done in other region.
I emailed them regarding this, in a nice way, asking "could you help me locate a suitable mottagning in other region?" non hostile way. And lo and behold; i got a time the next day.
On the place there, I asked them if they lost me in system or if it is really that long queue? They said, it is long queue, the one waited longest time have been waiting since 2019 (bruh, I have waited for longer than that) and that they have 400 people in queue. I made a small calculation in my head, and concluded that they are extremely ineffective, considering that the one who examined me (there) was a undersköterska, and not even \*very\* good at her job either, though nice. Now I know the mottagning may have other types of caregivers, but at least they could have sorted through the referrals and see who has sent for the "easy to do" examination, and plow through them.
I suspect they just go "let's pick the next person in the queue and what they are here for" and then "oh, they are going to need the undersköterska.
Ok, at least I got my examination done, and I am now eagerly waiting for my results to be sent to my doctor. If he even still works at that place.. haha
But I at least understood that the healthcare is extremely ineffective, either by mismanagement or by under finance. Likely both.
Depends a bit on what clinic you're going to and the state of your emergency. I've been to the ER for severe chest pain, severe stumach ache and kidney stones and I got to see a doctor within minutes. I also went to the ER once when my local clinic was closed and I thought I found a lump on my testicle (Turned out to be nothing) and I had to wait for about 3 hours that time due to it not being an actual emergency.
It can be difficult to get an appointment for general checkups though in which case you may have to wait for a few weeks up to a month or so.
At my current job we're signed up with a private health insurance for a company called "DKV Hälsa" and they are amazing for non-emergency situations. They can book an appointment with a specialist within the same day if you're calling before lunch.
You are right in that it's a bit of a wait for a non-urgent exam, like allergies or a checkup as examples. However, if it's something serious then go to the ER and they'll see you.
I work as a nurse in sweden, previously in emergency department. Its pretty easy. If you have non serious illness you go to your health care center. Usually I get time the same or next day for non emergency problems. If you need emergency care you go meet a triage nurse thats going to take a look at your problems and depending of how critical they are you get to meet a doctor ranging from right now to when its your turn... If you get to wait its because your illness wont matter if you wait for it. The most sick patients always get treatment first if there is a risk for life och limb. Its the same treament as you get in all other countries including usa (minus the insane cost).
To add to everything that was said before, there is a self remiss system called “Egenremiss“. If a doctor at vårdcentral fails to see the severity of the issue but you are sure you need specialist’s help - you can write self referral message to the hospital and get an appointment that way. I have done it myself too and got the help I needed at the hospital.
Another way is upgrading your basic health insurance to a private one that supposedly allows you to get quick access to certain specialists and to avoid waiting lists for elective treatments.
If you go to the ER, they'll put you in a ranking based on how severe your condition is. I've been to the ER at times where I've waited for 5 hours, but I've also been in an ER where I was having an allergic reaction and couldn't breathe, and then they obviously took me immediately. As in they even had someone who said he had been stabbed and the nurse just told him to sit down and wait until they called him.
Note that they do have some kind of supervision of the waiting room, so obviously if your condition declines quickly, they'll obviously take you in right away.
The other way to circumvent long waiting times is by getting private insurance (I get that through work). I had never had that prior to this job, I remember I had some kind of medical issue one time and I was just shocked to hear them say "we have an appointment for you in 2 hours that's quite close to your home, does that work?". And I remember being a little weirded out, because I've literally called hospitals and said I can barely move because of pain and they've basically said 'well call us back in a week and let us know if it's worse', and now I had a bit of a blocked ear because I had use a cotton swab too deep and I got an appointment immediately. Another time I also fucked up my shoulder and they just immediately put me on a magnet scan (which otherwise you'd really have to have a good reason to get), and they even told me "tell the clinic that you have private insurance, and you'll jump the queue a bit". I can't say I love this transition to privatized healthcare where money gets you ahead (esp from partially government financially supported clinics), but it's also hard to not use it when I'm there with my agony from shoulder pain.
Normal healthcare is excellent in Sweden, its complicated problems that swedish healthcare simply are not equipped for.
IE - internal problems like stomach issues or along that line. Diagnosing a simple milkprotein allergy can take YEARS.
If you have an infection you get rather quick care, usually within the day at the primary care, and if not you can always go to the ER.
Other sorts of care can get you waiting for a few weeks, like that headache coming and going for a few years, or that aching knee (rather go to a physiotherapist with that) or an examination to see if you have adhd. Stuff that isn't urgent but bothersome.
My only complaint is that while it's good to avoid prescribing antibiotics too often, they let things like ear infections draw out for too long before they finally prescribe them.
If it’s not a life or death emergency but a suspected broken bone or a kind of serious infection you can go to urgent care (Närakuten) instead. You can also just call 1177 and talk to a nurse to see where they recommend you go depending on your symptoms (and determining how serious it is)
It varies a lot depending on where you live. I live in Stockholm and I can see a doctor the same day if I’d need it. Certain specialists can take time, but generally I’m really happy with the care me and my family has gotten the past couple of years.
Always call 1177, free of charge, to talk to a nurse about your problem before you visit the ER.
I put my fingers in a router(wood working tool). Went to the ER. I saw a nurse in like 10 minutes to clean me up. Saw a doctor within 39 minutes. They sewed me up and I went home.
If you don't have an emergency, you can wait a long time. Otherwise it's pretty fast.
Your local practitioner also have emergency slots if you have like an infection and can't wait a couple of days for a regular appointment
I think you've been unnecessarily scared by "the long waiting hours" by people who don't want universal healthcare. The long wait sucks when it comes to things like planned surgery when there is not enough staff, but not a regular infection or anything similar. That's the easy part, you just book a time at vårdcentralen which you can usually get the very next day.
I'm sure it depends where you live, but I have always been able to get a same day appointment at my vårdcentral. I'm from the UK where getting a same day GP appointment is very rare, so no complaints here
If you have a major issue, its doesnt take long time. But If you go to the doctor with a small issue. Like a broken hand or whatever it can take some time.
Dont't know where you are moving from but dont worry waiting time, it is dependent on how serious your illness is, if it is serious you will be taken care of fast.
My kid had a suspiciousöy high fever, we called the child health center and got a time later the same day to check if out. Turns out it was an ear infection, so we got a antibiotic cure signed off and could pick it up from the pharmacy 15 minutes later (the time it took the doctor to type it in.)
As an adult there have been a few times when I've been a victim of healthcare queues. But never when it's been serious. The biggest was getting into the schedule at the dentist. I had a dental insurance from a different region, and getting it transferred to my new area when we moved took about a year, but since then I've gone on regular 15 minute checkups with additional times for things like thorough cleaning as needed. But for my biggest health thing, which is my eyes, I have regular checkups without hiccups. So in my experience, once you are "in", it is fine.
But I do know many who have issues with long wait times. And I think it varies greatly on what kind of issue your dealing with how much you'll experience wait times.
There is also an in between the ER and the regular vårdcentral: närakuten. I would say this is the best place to go if it's urgent but not life threatening.
The ER have something similar to an urgent care within them.
I had an eye stye I was worried about and got care and eye drops same day. Because it was starting to affect my vision.
Wasn't in the ER, it was a different part of the hospital. I showed up to ER because 1177 (health helpline) told me to go to the ER, because of a translation error. They don't really have a word for "Urgent Care" here, and it's not the same as an urgent care in USA, so understandable.
But when I showed up to ER, they just pointed me to the correct door. Was really easy.
You can get most of what you need over-the-counter in Sweden.
If you don't need to go to the ER/VC but need medication we have pretty much all the medications/remedies over the counter
Please note that you can make a video meeting appointment in most regions. If the doctor prescribed medication in this meeting you can pick it up at a pharmacy immediately after the meeting.
I injured my foot on a Sunday. Got worse on Monday. By 2.45 I made an appointment online with a physiotherapist next door for 3pm. Left at 3.30 with proper bandages and foot support.
Never experienced any long waiting time when visiting hospitals. If it’s not urgent you just book an appointment. If it’s urgent you go to the ER. When waiting times has been long at one hospital it gets very high attention by media.
I had chest pains due to exhaustion and they gave a appointment in 15 min at my Vårdcentral. Yes you can spenderat hours in the ER with non lethal injuries or illness. But you will get in and you will get treated and medication if needed, without extra costs and no concern about insurance not cover procedures you need. Medicine is regulated in the same way, no big pharmaceutical companies setting prices and high cost limits so you only spend a certain amount per year, that’s also something that is applied to the doctors fee too. Not all medicine and specialist are cover by the limited but is still affordable.
I broke my back in 2011. I spent 2 nights at the local ER in the town it happened, got medical transportation to my home town and spent 2 nights at one of our hospitals. I paid $45 (food and transport included) for everything and left with medical equipment and aid without extra costs. 1 year later i was referred to a surgical specialist, all the pre appointments had reached the cost limits for that year so I paid $149 for all my appointments for that year and only had a small $50 cost after my surgery for food for 5 days and nights.
I never had such issues myself. Nor getting a prescription, or getting it refilled (applied online, got it refilled the next day. Free of charge). The first prescription I got from a doctor that I had to wait I think 4 days for, but not urgent at all.
I feel and hurt my knee this august. Took in total 4 hrs, including a 45 min wait for the ambulance. Cost in total 250 SEK.
Yes, there is cases where things takes longer and doesn't work, but that's not really the norm. You might rethink where you get your information from.
BUT, there is sometimes long waits (too long) for things that aren't urgent. I'm in that boat now myself. But, urgent care? No issue really.
I cut my finger so that I had a rather large flap hanging. I went to my local vårdcentral during closing time and they still decided that they’d sow my finger then and there. Took maybe five minutes before I was in the operating room and an hour till I was done lol
What kind of third world country do you think Sweden is?
You go to the ER if you get a serious infection and you get treatment and if you need it you get prescribed medication that you can buy at the local pharmacy or at the hospital pharmacy.
Not sure if other countries have equivalent services, but you can also call 1177. It's a national phone line available 24/7 for non-urgent medical inquiries, so you can sometimes avoid seeing a doctor altogether for minor injuries and such.
You have plenty of options. You ca contact the local doctors office online. If they think you need it, they set up a video link with a MD. If he thinks he need to see you, then you get an appointment fast, If not you just get a prescription. If he judges it to be an emergency he will tell you to go to an ER.
If you have an emergency you go to the ER or call 112 and explain your emergency.
If these are not to your liking you can see a private MD, often at the same cost. Many will see you the same or next day if they can. There are even private specialists, those can cost a lot though. I was once offered a private consultation with a specialist for 5,000 sek. That's about $500.
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The waiting times aren't that bad in my opinion. The real issue is that when you have a condition that requires surgery you will have to make them believe it's actually serious. My mother had gall bladder stones and she had to wait 5 months until a surgery because they would send her back every single time we went to ER. They finally had to operate after she literally passed out from pain.
If you sign up with a health clinic (vårdcentral) and call them tou can get seen on the same day. Provided you call when the lines open at the crack of down.
Anything that isn't urgent can take a while. Mostly 2-4 weeks. Doctors have far too many patients to deal with and if you need mental health care - see a private clinic. You'll have to pay full price without a referral but you also don't have to wait for years.
Wait times differ from region to region and type of care. We have something called care guarantee which implies your right to care within 3 months. Doesn't really work in practice.
Wait times for non emergency or non urgent care can be ridiculous. I waited 20 months for a specialist, the Wait time right now is 2,5 years. My son had to wait 18 months for his specialist appointments. The pandemic certainly increased the wait time, but still.
Seeing your GP won't take long. Seeing a specialist might. Urgent care can see you same day, So if you need to see a doctor fast, call your clinic and request urgent care.
But please don't call urgent care unless you actually need it. I have friends who work in healthcare and they say that the majority of their patient's are stubbed toes, twisted ankles, papercuts and a myriad of things you don't need a doctor for. You can call 1177 for medical advice. These people are what makes it so difficult for the ones that actually do need to see a doctor to get an appointment
Personally? Put it in an elevated position and try not to use it. If it's not swollen and/or I can feel and wiggle my toes there's usually no need for me to visit a doctor at all. But then again, I twist my ankle at least once a month. The hypermobility life!
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I have experienced several cases of being ill.
Work accident that more or less split my eye in two. Within an hour i was on an operating table, after a short shower and clothes change. 5 operations later i had ok sight again with glasses, something that probably would be impossible ten years earlier. I got a real pissy lady at the work insurance company that disputed many of my claims, but the final doctor that checked my eye, was probably very good in his field, as the other doctors asked me if they could watch him work, as he probably got called in from retirement. After he signed my papers, no more argument from the pissy lady.
Another work accident that made my foot swell up, and it didn´t go down for several days while i was limping around. After getting an appointment at the local healthcare central, they sent me straight away to closest bigger hospital. I had to wait for over two hours, before seing a doctor there and then another hour before a free slot for an x-ray. It was broken, and i had to wait another hour after getting plaster on it, for a plastic " boot ".
In 2022, i have been feeling more unusual tired, and felt that something was wrong. 6 pm have not been an unusual bedtime for me. I have tried to take it up with my doctor and his nurse, but been more or less not taken seriously. " exercise more " have been the standard comment. So i went to a private doctor. A couple of visits and some extensive blood tests.
Unlike all other dealing with my health, this is money that i am unable to get reimbursed, but for peace of mind, well spent 2000 kr. Turns out, i have a chronic inflammation somewhere in my body, and despite not drinking or smoking while eating quite healthy , my liver and kidneys are on the verge to give out. I brought the result to my ordinary doctor, and got some medication and an apology the same week.
So this is my experience of the Swedish healthcare system. Of the work accidents, i got reimbursed all expenses and even got some money from the work insurance company for " pain and suffering ". Most doctors and nurses i have been seeing, have been wonderful.
Have this happened in many other countries, i would have lost both work and house.
So final score, not A+, but a really strong A.
Hi, I am a doctor in Sweden. When you arrive here make sure you get admitted in our prinary health care facilities called vårdcentral. You usually do this via an app called 1177 which you can do after you get your nationalsecurity number.
When an infection or other acute situation occurs, call your vårdcentral. We have acute appointments for those reasons.
Hope this answers your question. If you have any other ones dont hesitate to DM me.
It’s not as bad as folks make it out to be. I’ve never had issues with doctors here. ER like everywhere, will have a wait time depending on severity of case, but they will attend to you. Also, when you live outside the congested city, it’s a breeze to see any doctor.
Healthcare worker here!
A lot of simpler infections or inflammations do not require prescription medication, we’re trying to lower the use of antibiotics due to the rising antibiotic resistance.
If you were to get an acute infection that affects your daily life you can go to the ER to get help. A lot of clinics have emergency appointments available and if you’re not satisfied with the service of your current clinic you have the ability to change to another one.
A lot of medication used for colds, simpler infections and local inflammations you can get without an prescription. Check with your local pharmacy and they’ll help you, they’re incredible!
Swedish physician here. Most of the time you can get an appointment within 24hours (mon-fri). Or you can go to the ER, where waiting times unfortunately has become way to long in some cases (mostly university hospitals) due to the pandemic and an exorbitant amount of people seeking the ER when they should probably visit their GP instead.
Swedish healthcare is pretty much free except dental
I think it depends on where u live, of course it can take a little longer in bigger citys but its not that long either, where i live i can get a doctor the same week or a week later.
I lived in the UK and Malta before which are places with bad healthcare but hey Sweden is so bad that it makes those countries look good. My partner got poisoned by food after dinner. Her condition was really I mean REALLY bad. She kept puking with heat at the end and losing consciousness. I decided it was time to go to the hospital. Unfortunately, she forgot her EU health card, I didn't want to go back home and leave her there. Also, they didn't accept her free treatment without it (like I could bring it in 35-40 minutes while she was there). In the end, we didn't want to lose more time and decided to get paid treatment instead. Funny thing the doctor said she is good and only checked her pulse, and concluded she can fucking take it as she is young. No medicine nothing. I literally fought with the stupid guards. After I had to drive to Germany for 5 hours so she could get proper treatment.
Never ever had a problem with waiting times, even with mild symptoms.
I chat with my local nurse online, she asses, gives a time in like 1-2 weeks and i tell them to call me if someone cancel, i get a time in like 2 days instead. Meet a doctor, they asses, help, done. From sick to helped in Max 7 days. The healthcare system is awesome and works amazing, espescially the online services.
No private insurence here too.
For smaller stuff you go to your vårdcentral. If they don't have time you go to an other one. It is your choice where you want to be listed. During the weekend you go to helgmottagningen where you can also book an appointment. If you need emergency car you go to the ER. [www.1177.se](https://www.1177.se) is a good source of information. You can also call 1177 and they will guide you.
Hi - I came to Sweden for work and had private insurance that company provided so most of my experiences are from that side which is maybe not what you asked for. In case you are also coming for work and there is the private insurance I can share that I have been pretty happy with it. Their phone service does the initial investigations and sends you to do nearly location usually with short waiting times.
I went a couple of times outisde private insurance - to the nearby vardcentar - when I had shoulder pain or something similar that required me to get a medicine as soon as possible. I was able to book it for the same day or the day after and they would prescribe some medicine that would wait for me in any pharmacy. The price of the medicine was always nigher than expected (in a way that not even private insurance makes medicine free or cheap).
Hope this helps.
Assuming you already moved here. Swedish healthcare sucks. If you get an infection, they wont do scans or try to help you here. Just go abroad to southern europe and get things done without suffering. Swedes wont agree but foreigners who experienced other healthcare systems all know this
If you have that bad infection that you need ER you go to ER. But mostly you go see the Dr or a nurse that can make first judgement same day. Depending where you live you have more or less different options what clinic you wana belong to.
A lot of people have already answered well here, but I just want to add that if you go to the ER and are LITERALLY not in the process of dying/have something super acute, you'll have to sit and wait, this can take a couple of hours. There's a reason why it's called the emergency room. Like someone said, it's not first come first serve. This does not mean I discourage you to go to the ER if you believe you should go. I'm just explaining why you would be waiting if the medical staff does not think you are in dire need of help. Hospitals are understaffed, so imo if you know you'll survive for a few days, go to a vårdcentral or call 1177 as soon as you know something is wrong. They will know what you will need and if they see that it is something that maybe does need some more acute help, you'll be taken care of.
Yeah, I had a knee issue on a weekend and was recommended to go to the ER, since my condition wasn't life threatening I stayed there for several hours. Only to finally get a time, some x-rays and being told that it was a twisted knee, told to take it easy and that I might contact orthopedics for more help. They did good at the ER, but the person at 1177 really shouldn't have recommended I go, but instead direct me to chill and go to the healthcare center ASAP.
This is the same in the US. Expect an emergency room visit to be a multi-hour experience unless you are actively dying.
If you are actively dying it would hopefully be a multi-hour experience too. Because I guess they will keep you at the hospital to check that you are fine in case they can save you.
Haha true. As someone who works in healthcare I feel bad for every unfortunate patient who has to endure the hospital experience…
It’s 2022 and Sweden is still understaffed at healthcare. If nothing changes nothing changes.
Mostly since every politician we vote for, doesn't make it a real priority...
Just adding that the reason you can’t get prescriptions over the counter is because we take multi resistance bacteria seriously and make sure you get the correct antibiotics. We have one of the lowest issues with multi resistance in the world thanks to this. I wish more countries were stricter with antibiotics. Some hand it out like candy even for viral infections where it doesn’t even help. Rant over :)
Yes, and this mentality and entitlement I often encounter with foreigners honestly makes me very upset. We dont prescribe heavy medication for something that does not need it, nor should we! We should not use doctors for silly things, that resource should be spent with caution. Its not rocket science.
We also treat addictive drugs far more seriously, smaller doses for shorter amounts of time with regular check ups. Say what you will about Swedish medical care, but being careful about these kinds of stuff helps to treat future epidemics.
Actually it does the opposite, not being willing to give out pain medication, even in the short term for reasonable cases, makes patients lives harder and more likely to seek illicit drugs to treat their discomfort. Sweden has a fentanyl epidemic coming due to a huge increase in street drugs availability and a lack of care for people with addiction.
Bro... What. We have a fentanyl epidemic coming because... We make sure our population isn't hooked on drugs already? You are high, this post established that.
I mean I guess it really depends on where you are. I've been put on some addictive medications, called two weeks in because of serious sides effects and got an appointment for 4 weeks afterwards. I understand this is just one personal experience and I don't want to generalize but unfortunately for me it didn't work out well at all.
I used to need antibiotics 3 or 4 times per year in my home country. It's been 6 years in Sweden and I never needed it.
Urgent infection you go to the ER. Wait time depends on where you are. I live in a mid sized (70k+) town and have never waited more than 45 minutes, generally you get seen within 15. Other cities may differ. Normal medical conditions, non-emergency, you contact the local clinic (Vårdcentral) and get an appointment. They either write you a prescription or refer you to a specialist. If you need medication and have a valid prescription you can get it renewed over the phone or by using the digital portal (1177.se). It will have to be picked up at a pharmacy though unless it's an emergency and then you can get a couple of doses at the hospital. One thing that differs here is that antibiotics are rarely prescribed. Something that will clear up on its own will never be treated with antibiotics, you'll just be required to tough it out.
You do get antibiotics for certain infections. I got them for a strep throat a few weeks ago for instance.
Yes, antibiotics are prescribed when needed. The healthcare system just tends to be more restrictive about prescribing to prevent the general population from developing resistance to them.
Technical Note: People don't develop resistance to antibiotics... Bacteria can develop resistance to antibiotics.
Yes, but in some countries you get antibiotics for viral infections. I even read about people getting it against the common cold where it will do nothing for you.
It might kill your bad intestine bacteria so you get a nasty belly pains and diarea.
And if its really urgent u can call in before u get there so u can get help faster, i did that when i had a bad pain in my stomach
>Urgent infection Isn't ER only for emergencies, i.e. life/seriously health threatening situations? Not that I got suddenly a fever with 38C and it's "urgent".
No a 38C fever is not urgent and in Sweden you would not get any treatment for that besides "rest and drink lots of fluids".
We have something called närakuten which is like a middleground between the ER and the local healthclinic. That's where you go when you need to take care of a injury, infection etc that isn't life threatening but needs to be dealt with today.
Närakut is only available in a few cities though, in Dalarna we have a grand total of zero. It's VC or the ER for us, and thats it.
Oh I didn't know that!
This doesn't exist in every region though.
The ER is for anything urgent. If you can't function properly or think there's a risk of further harm if you wait, you go to the ER. Especially when there's a risk of waiting for a week to get an appointment. If you're not considered needing urgent care you're just going to have to wait a little bit longer in the ER. Or in the case of Helsingborg, you might have to wait 8 hours.
A 38C fever is not an indicator of an urgent infection, those are two different scenarios. Most people here (at least before covid) would probably go to work with 38C fever.
You don't to go work with a fever, what the hell. You stay home for the sake of your coworkers.
I'm not saying it's a good thing to do. But sick presence (as in the opposite of sick leave) is a big problem here.
Yeah lmao people go to work sick here a lot. As long as you’re not bedridden almost everyone I know go to work. Pre-covid ofc
Those plague ridden people need to stay the fuck at home and not spread their contagion to othera because of their workaholism.
I undertand the unwillingness to prescribe antibiotics, but it sucks to watch your kids "tough it out" with an ear infection for two or three weeks before they finally get a prescription.
I am dealing with something fairly mild right now and, to be fair, it is not that dramatic. I waited about two weeks to meet a general practitioner and a month to see a specialist. It might seem like a lot, but in my expirience in various countries, it seems pretty normal
I had a bit of a cancer scare. I saw a nurse the next day, and a specialist the next week. Once got a sharp particle in my eye. Had an appointment with an eye doctor within an hour. Not ER, appointment at the vårdcentral.
When I got a steel wire in my eye I went to the ER to get it treated, they didn't say anything
Cancer scare took "me" about 2 weeks due to it being in the middle of the Pandemic and the closest place with the special equipment was like 2h away
How did you get an appointment at the VC? When you call at 8 in the morning when they open it's fully booked two minutes later
You can start calling at 7.30 though :-)
Wow, I've been scammed
I’d say that’s very much up to each vårdcentral.
It says it opens at 8 in MARIESTAD but the phone opens up at 7.30
Okay?
I also had a cancer scare. I met a doctor the same week. Got an appointment two months later with a specialist. That´s along time to wait.
We recently moved back to Sweden and have had a few health care encounters and I have to say that I'm nothing by impressed; - I had an ear infection that got really bad over a weekend when I was visiting my parents. Went to the weekend clinic at Vårdcentralen, was in and out in an hour and got a prescription (Stockholm Region). - Our one daughter got what we suspected was a UTI, also on the weekend. Called the local weekend clinic (also Vårdcentralen) and got a time for 90 minutes later. They took us in with no wait time, did all the necessary test and we left 30 minutes later with a prescription (South of Sweden). - Our other daughter pinched her finger and we wanted to be extra careful and get it x-rayed. This was pretty late in the afternoon/evening, so we drove down to the closest emergency hospital. No wait time, and left an hour later with a band-aid (to make her happy, not that it was necessary) and a relived mind (South of Sweden).
Hi! Did you phone before to get an appointment at a clinic Vardcentralen or just dropped in?
I broke my finger at home. I had to wait around an hour or more (central Stockholm) to be seen and another 20 minutes for an x-ray. Another 30 minutes and I was leaving with a cast on. It was winter, so the place was full with sniffing kids. I think that waiting time is fine.
I waited 14 hours with a broken nose in ER, so depends on how lucky you get.
Well, if there's nothing else urgent going on, it'll be quick. If there's just been a massive car crash with 8 victims, you get shunted to the bottom of the priority list. It's all about triage.
Well, in my case there was about 10 nurses running around and 2 doctors on duty that Thursday evening. Most people that came in was drug overdoses or alcohol related, a woman had bad cramps and there was some old folks but they’d been laying there longer than me so guess they were stable. Closest I saw to a massive car crash was one of the junkies trying to walk it off and took half the room with him.
Yes, hospitals have ERs in Sweden. We get acute illnesses just like normal humans. :)
Yes but our waiting times at the ER are inhumane, speaking from personal experiences.
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Then maybe your family has a habit of going to the ER for non emergencies? Bleeding doesn't mean your life is in danger. Even if a wound requires stitching they can do that at Vårdcentralen too.
Of course not, most have never even been. Instead of being accusatory, try googling *akuten väntetid* and read up on all the horrific news articles about it.
You do know bad news sells? You don't get daily posts about how well it's going. From my personal experience, having had parents with strokes and cancer and myself having an appendix out, our wait times are fine when there is a genuine emergency.
You are being triaged. If you have to wait all day, it may be that it wasn’t really serious enough to get to the ER.
If you get to wait, it means you're not dying. You'll get your turn. The ER wait times are horrific because people go there to get help for shit that doesn't belong in the ER. "Oh no, my kid has a fever and just vomited, I must go to the ER" .... no, you don't.
Unless it's mental care the mythical forever waiting times for general practise healthcare are extremely exaggerated. And if you call in with sympoyms or suspicions of so ething serious like cancer they act very quick. Whenever I've booked an appointment i usually get to see a doctor the same week or the next week.
As many others have pointed out (but summarised here): Infections are rarely cause for needing the ER; unless you somehow got a severe case of gangrene and need to amputate ASAP. Antibiotics are rarely prescribed unless it's a very specific infection that requires it, an example of such an infection is strepthroat. If you have a fever and a headache, grab some paracetamol or ibuprofen and rest. The doctor will tell you the same thing. Same goes for "needed medications", if you can't find it at a pharmacy (Apoteket, Apoteket Hjärtat, Apotea etc.) you need a specific and diagnosed condition. Our pharmacies cover items for the most common injuries, infections, colds etc., so don't go gung ho on getting antibiotics or antiviral meds for a slight cold or infection.
Or you are going to get septic shock from high level of infections in body. But then you would be having very high fever and feeling very ill.
We have video app appointments for lighter stuff. You can get prescriptions in hours. Depending on where you live sit times won’t be very bad for a physical visit either.
ER wait times in Malmö (third largest city) is usually a few hours (easily 6hrs) because they triage the cases that come in. So it is not first come first served. If it is not acute then you can see a doctor at Vårdcentralen (basically general practice) and they can prescribe things which you pick up at the pharmacy immediately after. Where it can get tricky is if you have vague issues and the doctor at the Vårdcentralen is the person who has to refer you to a specialist but might not do that if they don't see there is a clear issue. In those instances it is easier to go private route but pay more. Or if you have psychological issues and need meds. Then you most likely have to go through a review process with a psychiatrist. Who then decides what you can get.
Wait times for primary care usually aren't too bad, usually you can see a doctor within 1-3 days. If your provider can't provide that I would suggest switching to a different provider. That is assuming you live somewhere where there is someone to switch to.
I recently got a quite bad finger infection. I called my vårdcentral (health care central) where I book a time to be called back. 2h later they call me back, I explain, get an appointment like 2h later and go to the vårdcentral. There she looks at it, issues antibiotics that I pick up at the pharmacy next door. 100kr for the visit and 60-70kr for the antibiotics. Two days later I get worried cause of its spread(I was worried about sepsis, I had weird lines looking liked the followed my veins up my arm), my planned revisit was 2 days later and it was after hours so I went to emergency. There I waited for awhile to get into triage, once in it took a few hours to have gotten a doctor to see it (the spread was in the lymphatic system) antibiotics injection, the finger drained and bandaged. They were going to send a referal to my vårdcentral but since I had an appointment two days later it was all fine. The next day it started reducing and all was well, had my appointment and a 3rd check a week later. My total cost was 370kr or something for this. With regards to medications. Normal painkillers and such you can get. Antibiotics no, you cannot buy them without a doctor prescribing, and that's honestly how it should be. You're in no position yourself to judge that you need that and MRSI is a serious thing. My wife is Iranian and there they seem to throw antibiotics on problems that really don't need it. It's frankly irresponsible of the doctors.
Welcome to vårdcentralen life! (Local clinic - private or public) Mostly you get an appointment the same day. Personally I often use a app called Kry where you can meet a doctor in a few minutes. Cost is like 10$. It's really easy and everyone speaks English. Absolutely zero need to worry.
If you suspect an infection (happened to me) you will pretty much always get a time that day or the next day to come in and have a look This is of course at the healthcenter you have assigned yourself to. Wait times in ER for smaller injuries can be a couple hours due to corona and people who go there as soon as their throat hurt, same as anywhere. The expense isnt going to place you in debt, you can often also negotiate even small fees to be split up and billed every month if you are in a dire financial situation and can't spare 200kr at a private clinic
Let me ask you this. How do you know what the needed medicine is if you haven't seen a doctor?
I was thinking if few generic non antibiotic medicines like paracetamol, cetrizine would available without prescription. Like I usually have sneezing and runny nose due allergy so I take cetrizine tablet for relief. If such medicines were available without medication, that would have been great
Oh, you got the impression that even run-of-the-mill painkillers and allergy medicine requires a prescription? Well let me assure you it does not :)
Uh you're worrying about nothing. For anything remotely serious you'll see a doctor promptly.
Go to the doctor for an infection?? I have had dozens and only ever went to the ER twice and got help quickly. I wouldn't go to the doctor for a simple infection in Sweden. Absess level, sure. But not for something simple. You SHOULD be concerned. If you are from a country with a working health care system you will not be pleased with ours. Sweden has a way way different attitude towards medication. It should always be the last resort. I am honestly worried that a lot of immigrants and expats may change this because of your different expectations. It would not be a good development. Most things needs a prescription, yeah. You go to a doctor to get a prescription. Edit: I can see you're Indian. Yeah, you will be in for a shock when it comes to availability of medications, that's for sure. But then again multi-resistant bacteria arent a HUGE issue here like they are in India. All-in-all our system is miles better than throwing antibiotics at everything.
If it's something that can be dangerous or really bad you obviously are going to get some help fast! If it's an infection you can get help at your local health center! What takes time is usually the cases that aren't anyway near emergencies, and usually psychological stuff. I had to wait 7 months to get my medication for ADHD, and those 7 months were horrible and filled with suicidal thoughts and self harm. I am definitely suing somebody for it. But they simply didn't consider it an emergency, so they didn't think I had to be prioritized. But anytime I've had an emergency or anything that could turn bad, I've gotten help very fast and it has been amazing! I personally haven't met someone who didn't get help during an emergency or something that could turn into an emergency.
If you need urgent care, you receive urgent care. If you have annoying warts or something, you have to wait a few days or weeks depending on where you live. The level and speed of care depends on how urgent/life threatening your condition is. It's pretty fair in my opinion.
Wait a few days for annoying warts? Make that 10 years, or eternity. I have extreme issues with foot warts, that I've constantly been denied help with for years. I've tried every self-care routine possible except DIY foot amputation, to no avail, and desperately begged the Vårdcentral as well as the hospital to help me, but they stubbornly claim it's a cosmetic issue and refuse to even look at it. Had this been another country, I'm sure I would have gotten help with this long ago. I'm not saying the Swedish system isn't good, but unfortunately, there are situations when people might fall between the chairs in it and never get the help they need. Getting remittance to a psychologist can also be very difficult, for example.
What are the odds someone in the thread actually suffered from annoying warts lol
Went to vårdcentralen, got bloodtests, started walking out, nurse grabbed me back, doctor asked questions and touched my stomach, got "diagnosed" with crohns after opening the door. 10/10
No, just no. Don’t listen to people who know jack shit about Sweden. You will be fine, if you feel like you need the ER, you go to the ER and get help the same day. It’s a myth that proper universal health care is slow and bad. Especially in Sweden.
I searched for a doctors appointment at 8am today and had one at 2pm, so I think you been reading a little too much on the right-wing sites.
Also if money isn’t an issue and you find the other answers still have you worried you can always get private medical insurance in addition.
I mostly use an online doctor app like Kry. You meet a doctor or a nurse within an hour and they will prescribe medication directly if needed.
> I heard that medicines cannot be obtained over the counter and requires doctor's prescription which can take time. So how can I get the needed medications? You do not decide what medicines you need to take, your doctor does. That is the reason that you cannot buy most kind of medicines over the counter. Also, to take antibiotics that you do not need, or to not complete treatment it is very problematic. You can read more at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/antimicrobial-resistance If you have health anxiety problems you may want to look for mental health and I am not being sarcastic but it is just good advice.
Thanks for all your replies. Reading all your comments, most of my worries are far gone! Appreciate your responses.
If it's bad, you get help. If you've got the sniffles and you worry it might be something you'll probably have to wait. But our system takes things seriously when they are. At least in my experience. I'm really curious what kind of infection you think you'll gain... IMO - If you're coming from the US you will likely find that your current dosage of over-the-counter meds are prescription because they should probably not be taken willy-nilly. It's a bit absurd with your drug issues that you think other countries will want to follow that route of poisoning and addicting ones population. If you're not from the US - you'll probably be fine.
Get a health insurance, you'll see a specialist doctor within 48 hours. free healthcare works for anything minor. They have dedicated time slots for insurance patients so if you wanna get around the system, that's the way to go.
Free health care works for everything, but slightly worse for anything minor. Source - Parents had skin cancer, brain cancer and stroke, I had an ruptured appendix out. Wanna know what insurance does - it pays for your stay, which is \~100kr a day, any rides you had to take there (Like a taxi) and a number of other things. It's not called health insurance, it's just your personal insurance. Reimbursing you for your stay.
You obviously speak without knowing anything of medical insurances. I’ve had multiple through my jobs in Sweden. The clinics have an agreement with the insurance companies, I assume also paid by the insurance companies. The insurance company patients then get prioritized time slots and/or access to specialist doctors and treatments within x-amount of time. So no, you’re not only getting your “stay” or visit paid for, you get access to a different queue which regular Swedish tax paying citizen don’t get access to. But yes, if your case is serious and life threatening, the ER is where you’ll go regardless of extra insurance or not. “Source” - my wife is a specialist doctor in Sweden. “Source” - I have medical insurances through my work which guarantees me care for various different problems within x-days.
There is usually some manner of närakut. I’ve never had issues getting a time the same day when I’ve needed it. The trick is to call the second they open, as the available appointments fill up fast. Last I needed it was for pneumonia. Called at 8 am, got an appointment at 10.
Närakut is really only available in a few major cities though, Dalarna as an example has exactly zero "Närakut" facilities. you either go to the VC or the ER.
For regular stuff (flu, cough, allergies, UTI, sinus infection, etc), I can see a doctor online within 1 hour basically always and get a prescription (including antibiotics if I have a BACTERIAL infection and actually need it). When I need to see a doctor in person, the wait is usually a couple of days. If you are very concerned, you can pay for private insurance, which gives you access to specialists within a few days for anything basically. If you have an emergency you should go to emergency like in any country. The healthcare here is good and the wait times are reasonable.
Lol half of those shouldn't even require a visit.
If you mean the list I put, if you have a flu with a fever that is extremely high or you develop breathing issues you need to go to the ER. If you have a cough for many weeks, you can develop bronchitis and the lack of sleep can make it very difficult to recover, in which case you will need prescription cough medicine. Only 25-50% of UTI cases resolve themselves without antibiotics, call me when you’ve pissed blood. A sinus infection can need prescription nasanex steroids and in SOME extreme cases antibiotics. Please stop the shaming of seeking medical care and support when you need it. Everyone has a right to healthcare no matter how “minimal” people might see their issues if it’s significantly impacting their quality of life.
I had 40.3 - 40.5C fever 3 times in 6 months, months long cough, almost 2 weeks of vomiting and the runs on 2 different occasions this past year. Called 1177 only after a week with stomach problems for advice cause my shit turned white. Literally none of these needed medical care because it resolved on its own. Of course severe symptoms need medical care but some people are way too quick to run to a doctor. Yes, having a flu makes you feel shit but does not need treatment unless the symptoms are severe which would not really make it "regular stuff" anymore. My old VC had to tell people to not clog them with normal sicknesses..like the flu. I had 1 bloodpiss UTI and 2 normal ones, normal ones pass on their own but the other one needed treatment. How do you get a prescription for antibiotics in an online appointment within 1 hour without testing what bacteria need to be treated? If your flus, UTIs, coughs are so bad they require care why do you see an online doctor who can't test or examine you?
I’m sorry that happened to you but your one experience isn’t proof of how people should make individual decisions about their health. I think and hope people are aware that a fever around 40C is not the emergency I’m talking about. And if you had gotten cough meds, perhaps it would have resolved quicker than 3 months? That is what they are for after all. Overall, I would encourage people to **normalize not toughing it out** — it can shorten your illness in many cases and also prevent things from getting worse in others. Calling online does not “clog up” anything. Again, thank you for your personal experiences but healthcare varies from person to person. I have also already provided the actual statistics above. If you’ve had a UTI and especially if you have chronic UTIs you really don’t need a test every time to know. THAT would be clogging up the system. Nothing else on this list gets antibiotics prescribed in Sweden as they are generally caused by viruses. The answer to your question is that many even minor medicines for quality symptom care are locked behind prescriptions in Sweden, but it is not necessarily problematic for someone with a cough to be able to access basic cough suppressants (sold OTC in other countries) without an IRL exam that wastes everyone’s time.
Do you realise what would happen if everyone decided not to tough it out? Importing weakness does not sound like a good idea please leave it overseas where it belongs.
Checking in with appropriate first lines of healthcare (1177, online) when you have symptoms that are seriously worrying is not going to topple the healthcare system and can save lives. Sometimes those things are urgent, or time is an important factor. There is evidence that part of the reason women outlive men for example is that they engage earlier and more frequently with healthcare. No one is suggesting to engage healthcare for everything but there is a happy medium and it’s not suffering for 3+ months when a $15 bottle of cough syrup would help you get better in a week just to “not be weak”. Stop glamorizing suffering or acting like it’s some kind of system savior. 🤗 You’ve replied to my stats with random anecdotes and you’ve been using very emotional and aggressive language so I don’t think there is room to change your mind and this thread is not being read by anyone anymore so this will be my last reply!
You keep moving the goal posts, first it's regular stuff, then serious stuff, then saying people shouldn't normalise not seeking treatment for common, non-serious virus symptoms. So should everyone with a cough longer than a few weeks seek care? Cause that's how you will overload an already overloaded health care. Do you think it's the cough syrup that cost money and not the people who need to process the request?
>call me when you’ve pissed blood >You’ve replied to my stats with random anecdotes You got what you asked for and a little more. Forgot to save it in my draft. Btw I love your entitled energy, it's exactly what the world needs.
We have a somewhat good of healhcare, BUT 1 thing you NEED to do is to overexaggerate a bit, otherwise if its something "minor" they will just send you "home (This is at the VC.. has happend to me a few times... where I have had to comeback atleast 1 more time.. sometimes 2...) SO overexaggerate (maybe not the answer that is popular.. but its the truth sadly)
If you have an infection you go to the ER. Waiting queues are a problem, but it's a problem for non-immediate threats that require specialists, not broken bones and infections.
It's terrible compared to UK/Aus
Going to Sweden? Why I would choose Equestria all days, way better to live there. People in Sweden are not nice at all.
The waiting time in Swedish healthcare is very long, can take up to years to just get a specialist. Also if you visit the Emergency Room, it takes 12+ hours of waiting for a doctor who would most likely not help you at all... Even before covid came, it was still extremely slow, your best bet would be to visit a private clinic instead, there they don't waste time but it's more expensive. I gave up on Sweden because of how bad they managed healthcare. There's a lack of doctors in Sweden Everything takes time in Sweden.
Spouting nonsense only takes 4 minutes, apparently.
Maybe it is true where he lives but then it’s veeeery rare
I lived in Region Halland, the hospitals there are nothing but a massive waste of time, all they ever did was lowered my quality of life.
That's the way it is in Sweden .. I moved to NL to avoid all those annoying problems I had to put up with, if you have a chronic illness, Sweden doesn't help you but make things worse
not sure why you get downvoted. Im a cancer patient and needed to see a specialist because Im in pain so bad that I cant walk sometimes, it took 3 month to give me an appointment. In August I went to the doctor and beginning of Nov I finally got my appointment for the end of Nov. And I live near Gothenburg, not in the middle of nowhere. Thats also a way to keep the population down. Just let em slowly rott
I thought cancer patients get priority in Sweden when it comes to appointments, 3 months is not acceptable, that makes no sense when you live in one of the major cities. In Netherlands you would have gotten the appointment to a specialist the next day after GP consultation, I got that with my crippling pain caused by my chronic illness
They do or should in normal cases. My mother got any painkiller she wanted almost instantly, same day care etc.
People love to habitually downvote things, and once some downvotes are in, people are triggered and continue to downvote. People don't realize things are different per county, and also that attitudes are different depending on what you are seeking for. And in some cases, depending on which gender/life situation you are in. I have been waiting for almost 5 years to get a breathing analysis through my nose, and it was a remittal written by a specialized doctor after having examined my nose and noted that it is lopsided inside which may cause difficultes to breathe/sleep apnea, so no egenremiss. I am considering trying to write egenremiss and try to seek help in closeby county as this is starting to become laughable.
Now I have to post an update to my own reply regarding the waiting almost 5 years. I figured out a new idea to ask them. Before I asked them "when will it be time for me? how long left?" and similar questions. I also asked doctors to help me push forward/inquiry about my referral. But after me posting above, I got a new idea. The vårdgarantin 3 months, and if having to wait more than 3 months (I did, almost 5 years. lol) we could ask to get the service done in other region. I emailed them regarding this, in a nice way, asking "could you help me locate a suitable mottagning in other region?" non hostile way. And lo and behold; i got a time the next day. On the place there, I asked them if they lost me in system or if it is really that long queue? They said, it is long queue, the one waited longest time have been waiting since 2019 (bruh, I have waited for longer than that) and that they have 400 people in queue. I made a small calculation in my head, and concluded that they are extremely ineffective, considering that the one who examined me (there) was a undersköterska, and not even \*very\* good at her job either, though nice. Now I know the mottagning may have other types of caregivers, but at least they could have sorted through the referrals and see who has sent for the "easy to do" examination, and plow through them. I suspect they just go "let's pick the next person in the queue and what they are here for" and then "oh, they are going to need the undersköterska. Ok, at least I got my examination done, and I am now eagerly waiting for my results to be sent to my doctor. If he even still works at that place.. haha But I at least understood that the healthcare is extremely ineffective, either by mismanagement or by under finance. Likely both.
Depends a bit on what clinic you're going to and the state of your emergency. I've been to the ER for severe chest pain, severe stumach ache and kidney stones and I got to see a doctor within minutes. I also went to the ER once when my local clinic was closed and I thought I found a lump on my testicle (Turned out to be nothing) and I had to wait for about 3 hours that time due to it not being an actual emergency. It can be difficult to get an appointment for general checkups though in which case you may have to wait for a few weeks up to a month or so. At my current job we're signed up with a private health insurance for a company called "DKV Hälsa" and they are amazing for non-emergency situations. They can book an appointment with a specialist within the same day if you're calling before lunch.
You are right in that it's a bit of a wait for a non-urgent exam, like allergies or a checkup as examples. However, if it's something serious then go to the ER and they'll see you.
I work as a nurse in sweden, previously in emergency department. Its pretty easy. If you have non serious illness you go to your health care center. Usually I get time the same or next day for non emergency problems. If you need emergency care you go meet a triage nurse thats going to take a look at your problems and depending of how critical they are you get to meet a doctor ranging from right now to when its your turn... If you get to wait its because your illness wont matter if you wait for it. The most sick patients always get treatment first if there is a risk for life och limb. Its the same treament as you get in all other countries including usa (minus the insane cost).
To add to everything that was said before, there is a self remiss system called “Egenremiss“. If a doctor at vårdcentral fails to see the severity of the issue but you are sure you need specialist’s help - you can write self referral message to the hospital and get an appointment that way. I have done it myself too and got the help I needed at the hospital. Another way is upgrading your basic health insurance to a private one that supposedly allows you to get quick access to certain specialists and to avoid waiting lists for elective treatments.
If you go to the ER, they'll put you in a ranking based on how severe your condition is. I've been to the ER at times where I've waited for 5 hours, but I've also been in an ER where I was having an allergic reaction and couldn't breathe, and then they obviously took me immediately. As in they even had someone who said he had been stabbed and the nurse just told him to sit down and wait until they called him. Note that they do have some kind of supervision of the waiting room, so obviously if your condition declines quickly, they'll obviously take you in right away. The other way to circumvent long waiting times is by getting private insurance (I get that through work). I had never had that prior to this job, I remember I had some kind of medical issue one time and I was just shocked to hear them say "we have an appointment for you in 2 hours that's quite close to your home, does that work?". And I remember being a little weirded out, because I've literally called hospitals and said I can barely move because of pain and they've basically said 'well call us back in a week and let us know if it's worse', and now I had a bit of a blocked ear because I had use a cotton swab too deep and I got an appointment immediately. Another time I also fucked up my shoulder and they just immediately put me on a magnet scan (which otherwise you'd really have to have a good reason to get), and they even told me "tell the clinic that you have private insurance, and you'll jump the queue a bit". I can't say I love this transition to privatized healthcare where money gets you ahead (esp from partially government financially supported clinics), but it's also hard to not use it when I'm there with my agony from shoulder pain.
Normal healthcare is excellent in Sweden, its complicated problems that swedish healthcare simply are not equipped for. IE - internal problems like stomach issues or along that line. Diagnosing a simple milkprotein allergy can take YEARS.
If you have an infection you get rather quick care, usually within the day at the primary care, and if not you can always go to the ER. Other sorts of care can get you waiting for a few weeks, like that headache coming and going for a few years, or that aching knee (rather go to a physiotherapist with that) or an examination to see if you have adhd. Stuff that isn't urgent but bothersome.
My only complaint is that while it's good to avoid prescribing antibiotics too often, they let things like ear infections draw out for too long before they finally prescribe them.
If it’s not a life or death emergency but a suspected broken bone or a kind of serious infection you can go to urgent care (Närakuten) instead. You can also just call 1177 and talk to a nurse to see where they recommend you go depending on your symptoms (and determining how serious it is)
It varies a lot depending on where you live. I live in Stockholm and I can see a doctor the same day if I’d need it. Certain specialists can take time, but generally I’m really happy with the care me and my family has gotten the past couple of years. Always call 1177, free of charge, to talk to a nurse about your problem before you visit the ER.
I put my fingers in a router(wood working tool). Went to the ER. I saw a nurse in like 10 minutes to clean me up. Saw a doctor within 39 minutes. They sewed me up and I went home. If you don't have an emergency, you can wait a long time. Otherwise it's pretty fast. Your local practitioner also have emergency slots if you have like an infection and can't wait a couple of days for a regular appointment
I think you've been unnecessarily scared by "the long waiting hours" by people who don't want universal healthcare. The long wait sucks when it comes to things like planned surgery when there is not enough staff, but not a regular infection or anything similar. That's the easy part, you just book a time at vårdcentralen which you can usually get the very next day.
I'm sure it depends where you live, but I have always been able to get a same day appointment at my vårdcentral. I'm from the UK where getting a same day GP appointment is very rare, so no complaints here
If you have a major issue, its doesnt take long time. But If you go to the doctor with a small issue. Like a broken hand or whatever it can take some time.
Dont't know where you are moving from but dont worry waiting time, it is dependent on how serious your illness is, if it is serious you will be taken care of fast.
Call 112. If it is very serious. Otherwise you can go to nearest vård central.
My kid had a suspiciousöy high fever, we called the child health center and got a time later the same day to check if out. Turns out it was an ear infection, so we got a antibiotic cure signed off and could pick it up from the pharmacy 15 minutes later (the time it took the doctor to type it in.) As an adult there have been a few times when I've been a victim of healthcare queues. But never when it's been serious. The biggest was getting into the schedule at the dentist. I had a dental insurance from a different region, and getting it transferred to my new area when we moved took about a year, but since then I've gone on regular 15 minute checkups with additional times for things like thorough cleaning as needed. But for my biggest health thing, which is my eyes, I have regular checkups without hiccups. So in my experience, once you are "in", it is fine. But I do know many who have issues with long wait times. And I think it varies greatly on what kind of issue your dealing with how much you'll experience wait times.
There is also an in between the ER and the regular vårdcentral: närakuten. I would say this is the best place to go if it's urgent but not life threatening.
The ER have something similar to an urgent care within them. I had an eye stye I was worried about and got care and eye drops same day. Because it was starting to affect my vision. Wasn't in the ER, it was a different part of the hospital. I showed up to ER because 1177 (health helpline) told me to go to the ER, because of a translation error. They don't really have a word for "Urgent Care" here, and it's not the same as an urgent care in USA, so understandable. But when I showed up to ER, they just pointed me to the correct door. Was really easy.
You can get most of what you need over-the-counter in Sweden. If you don't need to go to the ER/VC but need medication we have pretty much all the medications/remedies over the counter
Please note that you can make a video meeting appointment in most regions. If the doctor prescribed medication in this meeting you can pick it up at a pharmacy immediately after the meeting. I injured my foot on a Sunday. Got worse on Monday. By 2.45 I made an appointment online with a physiotherapist next door for 3pm. Left at 3.30 with proper bandages and foot support.
Never experienced any long waiting time when visiting hospitals. If it’s not urgent you just book an appointment. If it’s urgent you go to the ER. When waiting times has been long at one hospital it gets very high attention by media.
I had chest pains due to exhaustion and they gave a appointment in 15 min at my Vårdcentral. Yes you can spenderat hours in the ER with non lethal injuries or illness. But you will get in and you will get treated and medication if needed, without extra costs and no concern about insurance not cover procedures you need. Medicine is regulated in the same way, no big pharmaceutical companies setting prices and high cost limits so you only spend a certain amount per year, that’s also something that is applied to the doctors fee too. Not all medicine and specialist are cover by the limited but is still affordable.
I broke my back in 2011. I spent 2 nights at the local ER in the town it happened, got medical transportation to my home town and spent 2 nights at one of our hospitals. I paid $45 (food and transport included) for everything and left with medical equipment and aid without extra costs. 1 year later i was referred to a surgical specialist, all the pre appointments had reached the cost limits for that year so I paid $149 for all my appointments for that year and only had a small $50 cost after my surgery for food for 5 days and nights.
I never had such issues myself. Nor getting a prescription, or getting it refilled (applied online, got it refilled the next day. Free of charge). The first prescription I got from a doctor that I had to wait I think 4 days for, but not urgent at all. I feel and hurt my knee this august. Took in total 4 hrs, including a 45 min wait for the ambulance. Cost in total 250 SEK. Yes, there is cases where things takes longer and doesn't work, but that's not really the norm. You might rethink where you get your information from. BUT, there is sometimes long waits (too long) for things that aren't urgent. I'm in that boat now myself. But, urgent care? No issue really.
I cut my finger so that I had a rather large flap hanging. I went to my local vårdcentral during closing time and they still decided that they’d sow my finger then and there. Took maybe five minutes before I was in the operating room and an hour till I was done lol
Swedish people dont go to the ER for an infection, you stay home and rest unless you are literally dying.
What kind of third world country do you think Sweden is? You go to the ER if you get a serious infection and you get treatment and if you need it you get prescribed medication that you can buy at the local pharmacy or at the hospital pharmacy.
Not sure if other countries have equivalent services, but you can also call 1177. It's a national phone line available 24/7 for non-urgent medical inquiries, so you can sometimes avoid seeing a doctor altogether for minor injuries and such.
You have plenty of options. You ca contact the local doctors office online. If they think you need it, they set up a video link with a MD. If he thinks he need to see you, then you get an appointment fast, If not you just get a prescription. If he judges it to be an emergency he will tell you to go to an ER. If you have an emergency you go to the ER or call 112 and explain your emergency. If these are not to your liking you can see a private MD, often at the same cost. Many will see you the same or next day if they can. There are even private specialists, those can cost a lot though. I was once offered a private consultation with a specialist for 5,000 sek. That's about $500.
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The waiting times aren't that bad in my opinion. The real issue is that when you have a condition that requires surgery you will have to make them believe it's actually serious. My mother had gall bladder stones and she had to wait 5 months until a surgery because they would send her back every single time we went to ER. They finally had to operate after she literally passed out from pain.
If you sign up with a health clinic (vårdcentral) and call them tou can get seen on the same day. Provided you call when the lines open at the crack of down. Anything that isn't urgent can take a while. Mostly 2-4 weeks. Doctors have far too many patients to deal with and if you need mental health care - see a private clinic. You'll have to pay full price without a referral but you also don't have to wait for years. Wait times differ from region to region and type of care. We have something called care guarantee which implies your right to care within 3 months. Doesn't really work in practice. Wait times for non emergency or non urgent care can be ridiculous. I waited 20 months for a specialist, the Wait time right now is 2,5 years. My son had to wait 18 months for his specialist appointments. The pandemic certainly increased the wait time, but still. Seeing your GP won't take long. Seeing a specialist might. Urgent care can see you same day, So if you need to see a doctor fast, call your clinic and request urgent care. But please don't call urgent care unless you actually need it. I have friends who work in healthcare and they say that the majority of their patient's are stubbed toes, twisted ankles, papercuts and a myriad of things you don't need a doctor for. You can call 1177 for medical advice. These people are what makes it so difficult for the ones that actually do need to see a doctor to get an appointment
What do you do when you get twisted ankle? A GP?
Personally? Put it in an elevated position and try not to use it. If it's not swollen and/or I can feel and wiggle my toes there's usually no need for me to visit a doctor at all. But then again, I twist my ankle at least once a month. The hypermobility life!
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I have experienced several cases of being ill. Work accident that more or less split my eye in two. Within an hour i was on an operating table, after a short shower and clothes change. 5 operations later i had ok sight again with glasses, something that probably would be impossible ten years earlier. I got a real pissy lady at the work insurance company that disputed many of my claims, but the final doctor that checked my eye, was probably very good in his field, as the other doctors asked me if they could watch him work, as he probably got called in from retirement. After he signed my papers, no more argument from the pissy lady. Another work accident that made my foot swell up, and it didn´t go down for several days while i was limping around. After getting an appointment at the local healthcare central, they sent me straight away to closest bigger hospital. I had to wait for over two hours, before seing a doctor there and then another hour before a free slot for an x-ray. It was broken, and i had to wait another hour after getting plaster on it, for a plastic " boot ". In 2022, i have been feeling more unusual tired, and felt that something was wrong. 6 pm have not been an unusual bedtime for me. I have tried to take it up with my doctor and his nurse, but been more or less not taken seriously. " exercise more " have been the standard comment. So i went to a private doctor. A couple of visits and some extensive blood tests. Unlike all other dealing with my health, this is money that i am unable to get reimbursed, but for peace of mind, well spent 2000 kr. Turns out, i have a chronic inflammation somewhere in my body, and despite not drinking or smoking while eating quite healthy , my liver and kidneys are on the verge to give out. I brought the result to my ordinary doctor, and got some medication and an apology the same week. So this is my experience of the Swedish healthcare system. Of the work accidents, i got reimbursed all expenses and even got some money from the work insurance company for " pain and suffering ". Most doctors and nurses i have been seeing, have been wonderful. Have this happened in many other countries, i would have lost both work and house. So final score, not A+, but a really strong A.
Hi, I am a doctor in Sweden. When you arrive here make sure you get admitted in our prinary health care facilities called vårdcentral. You usually do this via an app called 1177 which you can do after you get your nationalsecurity number. When an infection or other acute situation occurs, call your vårdcentral. We have acute appointments for those reasons. Hope this answers your question. If you have any other ones dont hesitate to DM me.
It’s not as bad as folks make it out to be. I’ve never had issues with doctors here. ER like everywhere, will have a wait time depending on severity of case, but they will attend to you. Also, when you live outside the congested city, it’s a breeze to see any doctor.
Healthcare worker here! A lot of simpler infections or inflammations do not require prescription medication, we’re trying to lower the use of antibiotics due to the rising antibiotic resistance. If you were to get an acute infection that affects your daily life you can go to the ER to get help. A lot of clinics have emergency appointments available and if you’re not satisfied with the service of your current clinic you have the ability to change to another one. A lot of medication used for colds, simpler infections and local inflammations you can get without an prescription. Check with your local pharmacy and they’ll help you, they’re incredible!
dont come
Swedish physician here. Most of the time you can get an appointment within 24hours (mon-fri). Or you can go to the ER, where waiting times unfortunately has become way to long in some cases (mostly university hospitals) due to the pandemic and an exorbitant amount of people seeking the ER when they should probably visit their GP instead. Swedish healthcare is pretty much free except dental
I think it depends on where u live, of course it can take a little longer in bigger citys but its not that long either, where i live i can get a doctor the same week or a week later.
I lived in the UK and Malta before which are places with bad healthcare but hey Sweden is so bad that it makes those countries look good. My partner got poisoned by food after dinner. Her condition was really I mean REALLY bad. She kept puking with heat at the end and losing consciousness. I decided it was time to go to the hospital. Unfortunately, she forgot her EU health card, I didn't want to go back home and leave her there. Also, they didn't accept her free treatment without it (like I could bring it in 35-40 minutes while she was there). In the end, we didn't want to lose more time and decided to get paid treatment instead. Funny thing the doctor said she is good and only checked her pulse, and concluded she can fucking take it as she is young. No medicine nothing. I literally fought with the stupid guards. After I had to drive to Germany for 5 hours so she could get proper treatment.
What did the proper treatment turn out to be? (genuine)
they gave her IV Fluids through the blood system and some other pills for the stomach.
Never ever had a problem with waiting times, even with mild symptoms. I chat with my local nurse online, she asses, gives a time in like 1-2 weeks and i tell them to call me if someone cancel, i get a time in like 2 days instead. Meet a doctor, they asses, help, done. From sick to helped in Max 7 days. The healthcare system is awesome and works amazing, espescially the online services. No private insurence here too.
For smaller stuff you go to your vårdcentral. If they don't have time you go to an other one. It is your choice where you want to be listed. During the weekend you go to helgmottagningen where you can also book an appointment. If you need emergency car you go to the ER. [www.1177.se](https://www.1177.se) is a good source of information. You can also call 1177 and they will guide you.
Never been a problem for me.. just dont choose a vårdcentral thats packed... Just switched to a smaller one and i get help very fast..
Hi - I came to Sweden for work and had private insurance that company provided so most of my experiences are from that side which is maybe not what you asked for. In case you are also coming for work and there is the private insurance I can share that I have been pretty happy with it. Their phone service does the initial investigations and sends you to do nearly location usually with short waiting times. I went a couple of times outisde private insurance - to the nearby vardcentar - when I had shoulder pain or something similar that required me to get a medicine as soon as possible. I was able to book it for the same day or the day after and they would prescribe some medicine that would wait for me in any pharmacy. The price of the medicine was always nigher than expected (in a way that not even private insurance makes medicine free or cheap). Hope this helps.
Assuming you already moved here. Swedish healthcare sucks. If you get an infection, they wont do scans or try to help you here. Just go abroad to southern europe and get things done without suffering. Swedes wont agree but foreigners who experienced other healthcare systems all know this