You are entitled to express your views and lodge a complaint if you are dissatisfied with the treatment you have received or with the work of the social services. Where the complaint should be made depends on what the complaint concerns.
What do you want to do?
Submitting a complaint about poor treatment in health and medical care
If you feel that you have been subject to poor treatment by personnel within health and medical care or if you need assistance obtaining the care you require, you can turn to the Operations Manager, the medical care administration, the Health and Medical Advisory Board or the Patients’ Advisory Committee which is in every county council (external link).
Reporting deficiencies in the organisation and operations of health and medical care
Complaints against the organisation of public health and medical care can be submitted to the county council or the municipality (external link). Some municipalities have a specific Public Health and Medical Services Committee.
The complaint can also be sent to us at the National Board of Health and Welfare. We are the national supervisory authority for all healthcare in Sweden. When we receive a complaint, we decide whether a supervision case should be opened. In the event of supervision, we may sometimes request that documentation clarifying the situation be provided. We may also inspect the operations, both those which are subject to the complaint and those which are not.
Healthcare providers are legally obliged to report serious injuries and risks of injuries to the National Board of Health and Welfare, pursuant to lex Maria. The healthcare provider should then provide you, as a patient or relative, the opportunity to provide information on your experience of the incident.
Reporting errors committed by health and medical care personnel
If you believe that health and medical care personnel in a public or private health and medical care facility should be disciplined or cautioned for neglecting their responsibilities in terms of professional practice, you can lodge a complaint to the National Board of Health and Welfare.
Requesting financial compensation for malpractice in health and medical care
If you have suffered from an injury during care in a public medical or dental facility, you are in some cases entitled to financial compensation pursuant to the Patient Injury Act. The complaint should be registered with the Swedish Patient Insurance.
If you have suffered from an injury or serious side effect due to medication, you are in some cases entitled to financial compensation. The complaint should be registered with the Pharmaceutical Insurance.
Appealing a decision taken by the municipality on the work of the social services
If you are dissatisfied with a decision taken by the municipality concerning the work, you may, in accordance with the Social Services Act (SoL) or the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments (LSS), appeal certain rulings in a court (external link). You may only appeal decisions which concern you. Examples of issues which may be appealed include rulings on
- rejection of the application for assistance pursuant to the Social Services Act – irrespective of whether the entire application has been rejected or certain parts of it have been rejected
- rejection of the request for work in accordance with the Act concerning Support and Service for Persons with Certain Functional Impairments
- too high fee for home help service.
If the municipality has taken a decision you are dissatisfied with, you should obtain the decision in writing from the municipality. The municipality should also advise you on how to appeal.
The decision is appealed via the administrative court but is sent to the municipality. The appeal should be received by the municipality within three weeks, at the latest, of you having received the decision.
If you have applied for support and assistance, the municipality is required to investigate the application and take a decision. You must have the decision in writing in order to submit an appeal.
Submitting a complaint on the execution of work by the social services
If you are dissatisfied with how the work of the social services has been executed, you can submit a complaint to the personnel or the Supervisor who is responsible for the work of the personnel. If the complaint concerns a municipal business, you may also contact the company management or politicians on the board. If the complaint concerns a private business, you can contact the Supervisor's Manager or someone who represents the principal, such as the owner or the board of directors.
You may also contact the board which took the decision on the work. The board is often represented by a Development Assistance Administrator or a Social Welfare Officer. It is always the decision-making board which is responsible for ensuring that you actually benefit from the work you are entitled to. The board should also follow-up the work.
Views and complaints can also be submitted by, for instance, family and friends.
Reporting serious deficiencies in the social services or that no one listens
If you do not get a response on your views or if you feel that there are serious deficiencies in the operations of the social services, you can contact us at the National Board of Health and Welfare. We are the national supervisory authority for all healthcare in Sweden, which among other things includes the social services.
When we receive a complaint, we decide whether a supervision case should be opened. In the event of supervision, we may sometimes request that documentation clarifying the situation be provided. We may also inspect the operations, both those which are subject to the complaint and those which are not.
Anyone can register a complaint with the supervisory regions of the National Board of Health and Welfare, irrespective of whether you have suffered the injury, if you are a relative or have knowledge of the deficiencies in a business.
Submitting a complaint on public care
Pursuant to the Social Services Act, you can submit a complaint concerning the public care of the elderly and disabled persons in a municipal health and medical care facility. You may then contact the Patients’ Advisory Committee in your municipality (external link). The Patients’ Advisory Committee primarily works with issues which concern treatment, but the Committee does not take a stance on liability issues.
Some municipalities have agreements with the county council (external link) which entail that you should instead contact the county council's Patients’ Advisory Committee.
Reporting incorrect or unfair treatment by an authority
If you feel that you have been subject to incorrect or unfair treatment by an authority, you can submit an appeal to the Parliamentary Ombudsmen (JO). The JO has been commissioned to monitor whether the state and municipal authorities adhere to laws and ordinances.
The JO may provide criticism on an authority or an individual official and in special cases it may file proceedings against an official who is suspected of committing malpractice or another occupational breach. However, the JO cannot change a municipality's ruling or a court's judgement.