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The crown crisis puts healthcare in Sweden under great pressure and the municipalities and regions of Sweden have now decided to comply with the request of three regions for an activated crisis agreement.
“The Stockholm Region, the Västra Götaland Region and the Gävleborg Region have done everything that could reasonably be required to secure staffing and have exhausted all possibilities within the framework of the ordinary collective agreement. Therefore, we choose, according to the request of the regions, to activate the crisis agreement in these three regions “, says Joakim Larsson, chairman of the negotiating delegation in the municipalities and regions of Sweden (SKR) and on the board of Sobona association, according to a press release.
The crisis agreement means that the measure of regular work time is increased to 48 hours per week at the same time that special emergency overtime can be taken in addition to normal work hours. Additionally, staff can move between regions.
Västra Götaland evaluates that the current staff and the measures taken are not enough to cope with the increase in the number of patients with covid-19.
“We are facing an extraordinary situation. Requesting the activation of the crisis agreement is not an easy decision to make. This means a great additional strain for an already distressed staff,” says human resources director Marina Olsson according to a press release.
This is the second time this year that the Stockholm Region requests that the crisis agreement be activated. The most recent was on April 2, when the agreement lasted until August 31. According to opposition regional councilor Anna Sehlin (V), who sits on the regional board, the region has exhausted all resources.
– There is a shortage of Iva staff and there is no one else who can help. Students and hourly employees have been asked for help and tried in different ways, he tells DN.
Gävleborg is the third region who requested that the crisis agreement be activated.
– The load has been high for some time and is increasing. Now we are facing the weekend and our assessment is that this is necessary, says Johan Kaarme, acting director of health and medical care in the Gävleborg region for TT.
The region receives help from adjacent regions, but that is not enough, he says.
– Our region has been greatly affected by infection and the need for intensive care and hospital. I don’t know why this is the case, but the worrying thing is that the adjacent regions also seem to be affected now. We can be a little ahead, he tells TT.
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