Norwegian health authorities face intense criticism after approving two Swedish doctors to work with patients despite serious abuse allegations against them. One physician had already been found guilty of sexual assaults against two patients in Swedish courts, while the other was under investigation for raping five patients and later convicted for assaults against nine patients. The Norwegian Directorate of Health approved both applications without discovering these serious offenses, despite the information being publicly available.
Erlend Svardal Bøe, health committee leader for the Conservative Party, expressed outrage at the revelations. He stated that patients should feel completely safe when accessing Norwegian healthcare services and must be protected from medical professionals with histories of patient abuse. The Conservative Party now demands immediate action from the Health Minister to implement stricter background checks for all foreign healthcare workers seeking Norwegian authorization.
The case exposes critical gaps in Norway's medical licensing system. Health authorities admitted they had no procedures for conducting basic online searches of applicants or contacting foreign regulatory bodies. This failure occurred despite existing European agreements that make medical qualifications transferable between countries while lacking shared disciplinary registries.
This incident forms part of a broader European pattern of problematic medical practitioners moving between countries. A recent international investigation revealed at least 23 doctors currently working in Norway had lost their medical licenses in other countries for serious offenses including sexual assaults and violent crimes against patients. Several were convicted for crimes including stabbings and multiple sexual assaults.
Norwegian health officials have acknowledged systemic failures. The Health Directorate director called the revelations an eye-opener and confirmed immediate measures are being implemented to strengthen verification processes. Both the Directorate and the Norwegian Board of Health Supervision are reviewing cases dating back to 2019 to identify other potentially problematic authorizations.
The political response has been swift. The Health Minister faces parliamentary questions about restoring trust in medical licensing systems. With Norway dependent on foreign healthcare workers, maintaining rigorous vetting procedures becomes crucial for patient safety. The Conservative Party supports ongoing European Union initiatives to establish clearer cross-border rules for handling medical professionals who commit offenses against patients.
This case highlights the tension between Europe's common labor market for healthcare professionals and the absence of shared disciplinary systems. While medical qualifications transfer easily between European countries, no mechanism exists to track practitioners with histories of patient harm. The Norwegian situation mirrors challenges faced across Europe, where different national practices create vulnerabilities in patient protection systems.
Health authorities now work to implement emergency measures addressing identified gaps. The director confirmed they take their societal responsibility seriously and want patients to feel confident that doctors and nurses working in Norwegian municipalities and hospitals are trustworthy. The ongoing review aims to identify any additional cases where healthcare professionals received Norwegian authorization despite problematic backgrounds.