Health care guarantee - Patient information (Vårdgaranti på engelska)

What the health care guarantee means

The health care guarantee applies to all planned and medically motivated care. Emergency care is provided as soon as possible, as in the past.

The health care guarantee ensures appointments and treatment within a specific period of time.
It is not possible for all health care centres to fulfil these guaranteed periods.

The guarantee can, therefore, mean that patients are entitled to receive required care at another health care facility in another county council. Doctor check-ups and x-rays for instance are not covered by the care guarantee.

Questions?

Please phone the Health Care Guarantee Office (Vårdgarantikansliet) at 08-123 134 00 if you have any questions about the guarantee or if you have not received assistance as promised.

The health care guarantee is best symbolised numerically as 0-5-30-90

0 - You can contact your local health care centre or the Health Care Guide (Vårdguiden) on the same day you require medical assistance by phoning 08-320 100 (select "sjukvårdrådgivning").

5 - If you have to see a doctor at a family doctor practise, one is obligated to see you within 5 days.

30 - If you have to see a specialist, you are entitled to an appointment with one within 30 days.

90 - Any treatment you require has to begin as soon as possible and no later than 90 days from the date the specialist decided that specialised care was required.

How the guarantee works when receiving specialist care

When you visit your doctor at the health care centre and he or she decides you require specialist treatment, a letter of referral is sent. The health care guarantee period begins on the day the referral letter is sent. You can personally contact a specialist yourself and, in this case, the guarantee period applies from the date contact was made. A notification letter with appointment time is to be sent to you within 30 days.

The health care guarantee form is shown here to the right. Take it to your doctor and to the doctor you have been referred to. Please ask each doctor to fill in the fields under both appointment guarantee and treatment guarantee. Save the health care guarantee form.

If you do not receive an appointment for specialist care within 30 days or receive treatment within 90 days, please call the Health Care Guarantee office (Vårdgarantikansliet) for Stockholm's County Council for further assistance.
Telephone (weekdays) 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 08-123 134 00.

How the guarantee works when treatment is required

If your specialist decides that you require treatment, it has to begin no later than 90 days from the date of decision. The doctor can enter decision details and date in your health care guarantee form.

If your treatment does not begin within 90 days and you wish to use the health care guarantee, please call the Health Care Guarantee office (Vårdgarantikansliet) for Stockholm's County Council for further assistance. Telephone (weekdays) 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., 08-123 134 00.