Criticism of Karolinska University Hospital for deficiencies in both the registration and processing of a request for the disclosure of official documents

Summary of the decision: Karolinska University Hospital commissioned a review of elements of women’s healthcare at the hospital. The results of the investigation were sent to the home of the hospital’s then CEO. The Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman notes that such a procedure is very rarely justified and, as a point of departure, highly inappropriate. This particularly applies when there is significant public interest in insight and scrutiny. Furthermore, the Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman states that this approach may give rise to suspicions that a public authority is attempting to circumvent the principle of public access to official documents, with the concomitant risk of seriously damaging trust.

The Chief Parliamentary Ombudsman criticises the hospital for delaying the registration of a document and for its slow processing of a request for the disclosure of official documents.