Severe Criticism of Ivo Over Unacceptably Long Complaint Processing Times

The Swedish Health and Care Inspectorate (Ivo) faces sharp criticism from the National Audit Office (Riksrevisionen) for prolonged complaint handling that risks patient safety and healthcare quality. According to a recent report, the median complaint processing time rose from over 19 months in 2024 to 23 months in early 2025, far exceeding Ivo’s nine-month target. These delays undermine efforts to provide timely and effective feedback to healthcare providers, potentially compromising patient safety.

Maria Karlsson, project leader at Riksrevisionen, emphasized that the drawn-out process causes extended uncertainty for patients who file complaints and complications for healthcare professionals under investigation. Ivo attributes the delays to insufficient resources and ineffective IT support. In response, it reorganized complaint handling into a national structure in March 2024, hoping to improve efficiency over time, though no improvement has yet been seen since the introduction of stricter regulations in 2018.

This organizational challenge within Ivo highlights systemic issues in Sweden’s healthcare oversight that could impede quality improvements and patient protection if not resolved promptly. The long processing times stand out as “unreasonable,” raising calls for urgent action to better safeguard healthcare quality and patient trust.