Tasks and aimsThe Norwegian Board of Health Supervision (Norwegian name: Statens helsetilsyn. Short name: Helsetilsynet) is an independent supervision authority, with responsibility for general supervision of health and social services in the country. The Norwegian Board of Health Supervision directs the supervision authorities at the county level: the offices of the county governors, which have responsibility for supervision of social services, and the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision in the county, which have responsibility for supervision of health services and health care personnel.
Together the supervision authorities contribute to ensuring that:
- the needs of the population for health and social services are met
- health and social services are run in accordance with acceptable professional standards
- deficiencies in provision of services are prevented
- resources are utilized effectively and efficiently.
- monitoring health and social services in relation to the needs of the population and the demands of society for services
- directing the supervision of social services carried out by the offices of the county governors, and the supervision of health services and health care personnel carried out by the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision in the counties
- dealing with matters concerning serious deficiencies in health services, when there are grounds for issuing administrative reactions to health care personnel or instructions to institutions/activities (see the example of a case under Our Activities)
- directing the processing of complaints concerning the rights of the population to services, for example according to the Social Services Act and the Patients’ Rights Act
- disseminating information gained from experience of supervision to government administration and health and social services.
- supervising health services through organizational audits, surveys and other methods – partly as country-wide supervision as decided by the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision and partly decided on the basis of local conditions in the county (see the example of a case under Our Activities).
- processing complaints concerning deficiencies in health services
- processing complaints concerning the rights of the population to services according to, for example, the Patients’ Rights Act and the Municipal Health Services Act
- various tasks concerning the control of communicable diseases etc.
- monitoring service delivery
- disseminating information gained from experience of supervision to government administration and health and social services.
- supervision of social services through organizational audits, surveys and other methods – partly as country-wide supervision as decided by the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision and partly decided on the basis of local conditions in the county
- issuing instructions when an institution/activity is run in a way that can lead to adverse effects for clients or in any other way is unfavourable or unacceptable
- reviewing decisions and processing complains concerning use of compulsory treatment and force for mentally handicapped people
- dissemination of information gained from experience of supervision to government administration and health and social services.
In addition, the offices of the county governor process complaints concerning the rights of the population to services according the Social Services Act.
The offices of the county governor have many other tasks relating to social services. These tasks are mostly directed by the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs.
The Advisory Board shall:
- raise the level of understanding of what a gender perspective involves for health and social services
- ensure that current knowledge about gender differences in relation to need for, utilization of and access to health and social services is available
- ensure that risk and vulnerability assessments have gender-sensitive approaches
- help to integrate a gender perspective in administrative procedures and other internal processes.
More information is found in a separate article:
The government agencies that the Norwegian Board of Health cooperates with are:
- serves as an administrative agency and competence centre, helping to implement and pursue national policy in the health and social services sector
- provides advice to central authorities, municipalities, health enterprises, voluntary organizations and the general public
- helps to facilitate the development of quality and the ranking of priorities in health and social services.
2. The Norwegian Institute of Public HealthThe Norwegian Institute of Public Health aims to improve the health of the population by strengthening preventive measures. The institute consists of an administrative division and four professional divisions: control of contagious diseases, environmental medicine, epidemiology and forensic toxicology, and alcohol and drug research.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health aims to provide:
- a good overview of the health conditions of the population
- reliable knowledge about the factors that influence health
- useful advice and services that can lead to improvements in health
- legally sound advice and services
- an effective organization.
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s vision: healthier people
The Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s motto: knowledge for the health of the people
3. Norwegian Registration Authority for Health PersonnelThe Norwegian Registration Authority for Health Personnel has authority to grant authorisation and licences to health care personnel. The authority lies administratively under the Norwegian Directorate for Health and Social Affairs.
- Department I for Supervision
- Department II for Supervision
- Department for Administration
The Norwegian Board of Health has about 90 employees, including doctors, nurses, other health care professionals, social care professionals, social scientists and lawyers.
Organization at the county levelSupervision of health services and health care personnel in each county is carried out by the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision in the counties, directly under the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision centrally. The Norwegian Board of Health Supervision in the county has supervision authority only for health services and health care personnel. The Norwegian Board of Health Supervision in the county is lead by a county medical officer.
Supervision of social services is carried out by the office of the county governor. In some counties, supervision of social services is organized in the same department as supervision of health services and health care personnel. In other counties, supervision of social services is organised in the same department as supervision of child welfare and other tasks.
Updated 2 March 2007