Updates

In Sweden, different forms of waiting-time guarantees have existed since the 1990s. Since 2005, it has been based on the 0–7–90–90 rule and became law in 2010. People have: instant contact (zero delay) with the health care system for consultation (access guarantee); see a GP within 7 days (visit guarantee in primary care); consult a specialist within 90 days (visit guarantee in specialized care); and wait no more than 90 days after being diagnosed to receive treatment (treatment guarantee).

Since January 2019, the visit guarantee in primary care has been updated and replaced by a so-called medical assessment guarantee within 3 days. The assessment should be by a physician or any other authorized professional group in primary care. This is the result of the work of the investigation towards reforming primary care, which aims to reform the Swedish health care system such that more resources are to be invested upstream and towards handling disease complexity.