Nursing and Care Services in the Municipalities: Service Users, Service Needs and Service Supply

In this report, the results of the first national survey to be carried out of nursing and care services, and the Norwegian Board of Health’s evaluation of the results, are presented. More than 13 000 clients in 73 municipalities were included in the survey. The results provide important information about client groups, clients’ needs for care and to what extent the services that are provided meet these needs.

At the national level there seems to be a systematic relationship between the need for care and the supply of services. People who are the weakest receive the most help, whilst people who are relatively healthy receive the least help. The results indicate that most clients receive the care that they are entitled to and that they need, but that there are some groups that systematically do not have their needs for help met. This is the case for clients who live in their own homes and people with psychiatric disorders. The Norwegian Board of Health is concerned that these groups do not receive an adequate service.

The report is in two parts. Part I presents the Norwegian Board of Health’s evaluation of the results. Part II presents a summary of the results of the survey. The research institute NOVA (Norwegian Social Research) assisted the Norwegian Board of Health by developing the methodology, carrying out the survey and analyzing the results.