Försvinner förlossningen så försvinner akutsjukvården, vem vill bo här då? : En kvalitativ fallstudie om stängningen av Lycksele BB

Sammanfattning: In January this year, Region Västerbotten announced that the maternity ward in Lycksele would be closed until further notice. This paper is a case study of the closure of the maternity ward in Lycksele, located within the rural parts of northern Sweden. Previous research has focused on maternity ward closures in Canada and Australia whereas studies on maternity wards in northern Sweden is limited. Since large parts of northern Sweden consist of sparsely populated areas, the closure of Lycksele BB has resulted in women having to travel long distances to receive care. This paper seeks to provide a deeper understanding of the consequences of the closure of Lycksele BB by examining (1) what feelings women experience and how they manage these feelings, (2) the consequences of the maternity ward closure on women’s physical and mental health and (3) the consequences of the maternity ward closure in relation to the rural parts of northern Sweden. This study has been carried out by using a qualitative approach by conducting semi-structured interviews with two pregnant women, two mothers, and two midwives. The findings in this study show that women develop strategies to mitigate feelings of insecurity and anxiety. Both pregnant women and midwives create strategies to feel a stronger sense of control in an otherwise unpredictable situation. This contributes to major consequences for women’s mental and physical health as women are faced with new challenges, affecting their reproductive health and care. The findings also show that the closure of Lycksele BB is only a stepping stone for further welfare cuts which can result in people moving away from these sparsely populated areas. This study concludes that the issue goes beyond the closure of the maternity ward in Lycksele and raises bigger questions around the future of the rural parts of northern Sweden.