The Executive Board of the Healthcare Institution of North Iceland (HSN), following discussions with stakeholders and a reassessment of the premises, has decided to postpone the construction of a new health clinic by at least five years.

A service survey conducted among clients shows a significant increase in satisfaction with services and staff morale, indicating that the current setup—created with the new and modern health clinic in Sunnuhlíð along with operations at Hvannavellir—has proven highly effective. This, among other factors, has prompted a pause and reevaluation of the previous decision. The situation will be reassessed after five years.

Expansion of Current Facilities and Focus on Professional Development

Plans are in place to expand the health clinic in Sunnuhlíð by up to 250 square meters for clinical operations. Additionally, HSN rents approximately 1,500 square meters of space for psychosocial services, home nursing, the ME team, and office operations in Akureyri. In collaboration with the municipality of Akureyri, efforts will be made to relocate home nursing and home services to a shared facility to further support successful cooperation and service delivery. Psychosocial services serving all of North Iceland will continue to operate from Hvannavellir, though some staff will remain at other HSN locations. Emphasis is placed on advertising as many positions as possible as location-independent within the service area.

Significant professional development has taken place within the health clinic in Akureyri. The implementation of team-based work, where residents are divided into four teams, has improved workflow, increased interdisciplinary collaboration, and enhanced service quality. New working conditions and professional activities have also attracted more students, who benefit from strong support from experienced professionals. At the same time, the working environment is evolving, and recent changes such as shorter workweeks present challenges, as more staff may be absent at any given time. Therefore, it is more advantageous to have a larger unit to better ensure continuity of care for clients.

HSN thus considers it prudent to pause, strengthen current professional development efforts and services, and promote greater balance in service quality rather than splitting clinical services at this stage.

For further information, please contact:

Jón Helgi Björnsson, CEO of HSN