According to the Medical Director of Health and Public Health Act, No. 41/2007, the Directorate of Health is responsible for monitoring the quality and safety of healthcare services and promoting improvements. Part of this supervision involves surveillance audits of healthcare institutions, for which the Directorate refers, among other things, to the Plan for Quality Development in Healthcare Services 2019–2030.

Digital Iceland continues to develop and improve digital solutions with regular updates on both core services and individual digital services. With the latest update we introduce both new functionality and additions and fixes aimed at increasing security, improving user experience and simplifying service processes for both individuals and companies.

This winter, concerns arose about possible mold in the laboratory facilities at Akureyri Hospital (SAk), after staff began experiencing unexplained symptoms such as fatigue and headaches. Initial assessments suggested the issue was limited in scope, but more recent investigations reveal that the problem is far more extensive than initially thought – and that the source is likely beneath the floors, rather than in the outer walls as previously assumed.

A survey on helmet use among users of e-bikes, bicycles and e-scooters was conducted this spring. The results provide a comparison of helmet use on shared paths versus within neighbourhoods, as well as between the capital area and rural regions.

This week, the European Trauma Course (ETC) took place for the first time in Iceland. The Icelandic Resuscitation Council (EÍ) is responsible for introducing these courses to Iceland, and the inaugural session was hosted at Akureyri Hospital (SAk). The aim of the course is to train healthcare professionals in the coordinated reception and management of severely injured trauma patients, with a strong emphasis on teamwork, communication, leadership, and decision-making. In addition to hands-on clinical procedures, 85% of the course is based on practical scenario training. Organizers from ETC, EÍ, and SAk were all highly satisfied with the outcome.

Hilda Jana Gísladóttir has been permanently appointed as the Communications Director of Akureyri Hospital (SAk).

The Rehabilitation Department of SAk at Kristnes was presented as an exciting workplace.

The 4x4 Travel Club's yearly land reclamation excursion took place in Sandárstunga, Þjórsárdalur, on June 7th. For more than two decades, the club has been dedicated to land reclamation efforts, including the distribution of fertiliser and seeds in areas with sparse vegetation, as well as the planting of birch trees, initially in Þórsmörk and now in Þjórsárdalur.

Digital Iceland newsletter September 2025.

Ásgeir Bragason graduated from Menntaskólinn við Hamrahlíð in 1978 and subsequently began his medical studies at the University of Iceland, graduating in 1984. After completing his internship year, he worked as a junior doctor in the psychiatric department at Borgarspítalinn Hospital.