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🇮🇸 Iceland /Health & Science

Icelandic health union backs member investigated over death at nursing home

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Iceland's Union of Health Professionals stands by a member arrested and investigated in connection with a death at Hraunbúðir nursing home.
  • The investigation has concluded without further action, but the union highlights the profound impact of such accusations on an individual's life.
  • The union demands professional and thorough investigations into serious incidents in healthcare, emphasizing the need for healthcare workers to perform their duties without fear of personal liability.

The Union of Health Professionals in Iceland is offering its full support to a member who was arrested and subjected to a police investigation following a death at the Hraunbúðir nursing home in Vestmannaeyjar. The investigation has since concluded, and no further proceedings are deemed necessary.

In a statement, the union highlighted the severe personal toll such an experience can take. "Our member was deprived of liberty, given the status of a suspect, and for a time lived under suspicion of involvement in one of the most serious crimes an individual can be accused of," the statement read, emphasizing the deep and lasting effects such a situation can have.

Our member was deprived of liberty, given the status of a suspect, and for a time lived under suspicion of involvement in one of the most serious crimes an individual can be accused of.

— Union of Health ProfessionalsThe union describes the ordeal their member faced during the police investigation.

The union affirmed its continued commitment to supporting the individual, ensuring they receive appropriate assistance. They stressed that while serious incidents in healthcare services warrant rigorous investigation, these must be conducted with professionalism. The Union of Health Professionals stated it will not accept ongoing uncertainty regarding the legal standing of healthcare workers.

"Nurses must be able to carry out their responsible duties without fear of being personally held liable for a serious incident before a professional and comprehensive assessment has been made," the union declared. The statement was authored by Sandra B. Franks, the chair of the Union of Health Professionals.

Nurses must be able to carry out their responsible duties without fear of being personally held liable for a serious incident before a professional and comprehensive assessment has been made.

— Sandra B. FranksSandra B. Franks, chair of the Union of Health Professionals, emphasizes the need for healthcare workers to be protected from undue personal liability during investigations.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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