Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) believes that healthcare has both short- and long-term problems.
– In the short term, it is about inflation driving up pension costs, and in the long term, the problems are more structural, he says.
The money will be given in general state grants, which means that it is up to the regions how it should be used.
– The state’s expectation is that the money should be used to avoid general dismissals of healthcare personnel, says the prime minister.
Kristersson points out that six billion is enough for a short-term economic solution, but that the regions must now take their responsibility and “make as wise decisions as possible”.
7000 nurses
The government’s assessment is that six billion kroner to the regions will be used to avoid notices and dismissals.
– Converted into nursing services, six billion kroner is 7,000 nurses. This is a substantial addition. The announced notices we have seen are somewhere around 6,000. We now have reason to say that the state is doing its part to ensure that the regions have the conditions to retain the healthcare staff, says Ebba Busch (KD).
SKR has previously warned that the regions together appear to have a deficit of 24 billion in 2024. These six billion in additions therefore do not appear to be able to cover the possible deficit that the regions are expected to have during the year.
The government will also establish a new function that will review the regions’ finances. An efficiency delegation is also to be appointed which, according to Labor Market and Integration Minister Johan Pehrson (L), will ensure that money does not disappear into “black holes”.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M), Minister of Business Ebba Busch (KD), Minister of Labor Market and Integration Johan Pehrson (L) and the Sweden Democrats’ party leader Jimmie Åkesson participated during the press meeting.
The spring amendment budget will be presented as a whole on April 15.
SVT broadcasts directly from Tidöpartierna’s press conference.