For the first time in the four years that the National Board of Health and Welfare has been monitoring the availability of care beds, the authority has noted an increase.
"It is a clear break from the trend and proof that the regions are working actively to strengthen healthcare capacity," says Björn Eriksson, Director General of the National Board of Health and Welfare, in a press release.
Compared to the previous year, there have been 529 more care beds. The largest increase is in the Stockholm Region, where the number of available care beds has increased by 201, followed by the Skåne Region with 136 new beds.
A total of 16 regions are reported to have opened more care beds during 2026. However, there is still an average shortage of 1,191 somatic care beds every day, according to the National Board of Health and Welfare.
