The cost reduction for hired personnel amounts to 28 percent.
"We are now seeing clear results of the regions' determined efforts to reduce their dependence on hired staffing. This is important for patient continuity, for the development of operations, and for creating a sustainable work environment for healthcare employees," comments Johan Kaarme, department head at the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SALAR), on the organization's website.
Demanding better working conditions
The importance of continuity is also emphasized by the Swedish Medical Association and the Swedish Nurses' Association, but they believe that the first step is to offer good working conditions that make employees want to stay in the regions.
I assume that the regions will use the money to hire more doctors and improve the conditions and work environment for permanent employees. The real problem is poor working conditions and poor terms, not hired personnel, says Sofia Rydgren Stale, chair of the Swedish Medical Association.
If you don't have a plan for how to improve the conditions, then it doesn't matter that you have lower staffing costs, because you don't have a sustainable operation, says Jani Stjernström, vice chair of the Swedish Nurses' Association.
Drastic method
She says that the drastic method used by the employer, excluding staffing companies, has led to an escalation of overtime among already heavily burdened members, resulting in increased sick leave and high costs in operations.
We will conduct a follow-up among our members to see what this has led to.
Ulrika Sundquist is the regional director of Region Norrbotten and one of those who have driven the regions' cooperation to reduce hired staffing. She says that it may look a bit different in different regions, but there are quite a few examples where there is now better staffing and predictability than in a long time.
Our employees signal that the change is positive. It provides continuity for the patient, but it also provides continuity in the work team, which enables us to work on work environment issues and development work.
• The regions' costs for hired staffing decreased by 28 percent, almost 1.3 billion kronor, during the first half of 2024 compared to the same period in 2023. The costs for hired staffing decreased in 20 regions.
• The costs for hired staffing accounted for 3.4 percent of the total personnel costs for the first half of 2024, a decrease from 4.9 percent for the first half of 2023.
• The total costs for hired nurses decreased by 43 percent and hired doctors by 16 percent.
• 20 regions reduced their costs in somatic care, with a total reduction of 34 percent. 16 regions reduced their costs in psychiatry and primary care, respectively. In both psychiatry and primary care, the total costs decreased by approximately 19 percent.
Source: SALAR
