Healthcare queues are longer than ever, according to a government inquiry presented last week. In August 2024, 89,435 people had waited longer than the healthcare guarantee's limit for a treatment or operation within specialized care.
The investigator proposed rapid measures to shorten waiting times for hip, hernia, and cataract operations.
It is precisely for such government one-time investments that the 500 million will now be allocated.
We will set aside special resources for this this year so that regions can accelerate their work on these specific areas to shorten the queues, says Finance Minister Elisabeth Svantesson (M).
It is specifically three areas where we know that many are suffering and waiting for care but have not yet received it.
"Will return with details"
The money is not new, but is included in the 2025 budget.
We will return with the details, but it will be money for these three diagnoses, we will invest in healthcare offices and better procurement, says Healthcare Minister Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD).
The government has also made a decision on a new regulation that will govern how regions provide healthcare, with a focus on better accessibility and strengthened healthcare capacity. It replaces the previous annual agreements with the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR).
A total of 5.9 billion kronor will be paid out through the regulation, which is also money already known in the budget. The money is paid out based on population size, but each region will also receive a fixed amount of 100 million kronor, which is intended to benefit smaller regions.
Election promise
It was an election promise from, among others, the Christian Democrats to shorten healthcare queues. Despite this, they are record-long right now.
In response to the question of whether the measures presented now are sufficient, Acko Ankarberg Johansson says:
It is necessary for the patients' sake that we shorten the queues. It cannot be a natural law in Sweden that we have long queues, we have had them for about 15 years. Now we must take decisive action and we are doing so.
