2022-11-232022/23:SoU3 · p.1SoUHealth & social services
Hospital beds, queues and working environment
Hospital beds, care queues, and working environment in health care
What's at stake: The outcome affects health care workers' working conditions and patients' access to care across the country, since the shortage of hospital beds and long queues are linked to staff shortages and a strained working environment in regional health care.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should issue new calls to the government for more hospital beds, shorter care queues and a better working environment in health care beyond the initiatives already announced, or whether no further action is needed at this time.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee recommends rejecting the motions, judging that no new statements from parliament are needed since the incoming government has already announced measures — a national digital infrastructure, a national care referral service and a long-term strategy for more hospital beds — together with a cooperation project between the governing parties and the Sweden Democrats (the Tidö Agreement) on working environment and staffing in health care.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (S)
The Social Democrats (S) want the government to make the temporary state support to the regions permanent and return with a proposal for a lasting effort to improve the working environment and increase the number of hospital beds, including a national goal, a national plan and reporting to parliament, along with a zero-vision against work-related ill health in health care. The reasoning is that the temporary pandemic-era support shows that state funding is needed on a long-term basis to address the staff shortage.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by S.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, LLiberalerna, SDSverigedemokraterna
Ja 151–93Nej 59–185
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/14 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| MP | No | Abstain 0/0/15/3 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/20/4 | differs | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 13/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 16/0/0/3 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| M | No | Yes 59/0/0/9 | differs | confidence: medium | derived |
| SD | No | Yes 63/0/0/10 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
Parliament rejects the motions 2021/22:4771 by Acko Ankarberg Johansson et al. (KD) claims 1 and 2, 2021/22:4775 by Camilla Waltersson Grönvall et al. (M) claims 4 and 9 and 2022/23:28 by Ulrika Westerlund (MP) claims 1-4.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2021/22:4771 av Acko Ankarberg Johansson m.fl. (KD) yrkandena 1 och 2, 2021/22:4775 av Camilla Waltersson Grönvall m.fl. (M) yrkandena 4 och 9 samt 2022/23:28 av Ulrika Westerlund (MP) yrkandena 1-4.
Riksdag decision: Parliament has handled two documents from the former government. In the documents, that government describes what changes it has made within the healthcare area to meet the directives that parliament has issued to the government. Among other things, the directives concern increasing the number of hospital beds, reducing healthcare queues and promoting choice in healthcare. Parliament agrees with the government that the directives have not been fully met. Parliament laid the government's documents on the table, that is, closed the matter.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants the government to establish permanent funding and a national plan to increase hospital beds and improve working conditions in healthcare. (S) — Reservation 1
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan explicitly requires more resources for healthcare and elderly care, that staffing shortages are addressed and that staff working conditions are strengthened, and notes that Sweden has the EU's lowest number of hospital beds.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires more resources for healthcare and elderly care, that staffing shortages are addressed and that staff working conditions are strengthened, and notes that Sweden has the EU's lowest number of hospital beds. It also requires that redistribution from state to region and municipality increases. The counter-proposal's sustained state investment with a national target and plan is precisely this.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen mer resurser till hälso- och sjukvården, att personalbristen åtgärdas och att personalens arbetsmiljö stärks, och konstaterar att Sverige har EU:s minsta antal vårdplatser. Den kräver också att omfördelningen från stat till region och kommun ökar. Motförslagets varaktiga statliga satsning med nationellt mål och plan är just detta.
- more resources for care and staffdecisive»Därför vill Vänsterpartiet satsa mer resurser på hälso- och sjukvården och äldreomsorgen, samt satsa på personalen så att vi samtidigt får bort personalbristen och stärker personalens villkor och arbetsmiljö.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Therefore the Left Party wants to invest more resources in healthcare and elderly care, and invest in staff so that we at the same time get rid of staff shortages and strengthen staff conditions and working environment.”
- more hospital beds needed»Men Sverige har idag minst antal vårdplatser i EU och en alldeles för dåligt utbyggd primärvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“But Sweden today has the lowest number of hospital beds in the EU and a far too poorly developed primary care.”
- permanent state support to regions»Omfördelningen från stat till region och kommun måste öka« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Redistribution from state to region and municipality must increase”
- long-term strengthening of healthcare»Sverige behöver rusta upp hela vårdsektorn för att kunna klara de mer normala skiftningarna i vårdbehov men också för att kunna växla upp kapaciteten i kristider.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to strengthen the entire care sector to be able to cope with more normal shifts in care needs but also to be able to scale up capacity in times of crisis.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan's decisive commitment is to increase resources for welfare and the state's contribution to regions, with an explicit focus on staff working conditions and work environment.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's decisive commitment is to increase resources for welfare and the state's contribution to regions, with an explicit focus on staff working conditions and work environment. The counter-proposal's demands for permanent state support, national goals and plans for more care beds follow directly from this. The plan also wants to shorten waiting times and strengthen competence supply.
Original (Swedish)
Planens avgörande åtagande är att öka resurserna till välfärden och statens bidrag till regionerna, med uttryckligt fokus på personalens arbetsvillkor och arbetsmiljö. Motförslagets krav på permanent statligt stöd, nationellt mål och plan för fler vårdplatser följer direkt av detta. Planen vill dessutom korta väntetiderna och stärka kompetensförsörjningen.
- increased state contributions to regionsdecisive»Vi vill fortsätta öka statens bidrag till kommuner och regioner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to continue increasing the state's contribution to municipalities and regions.”
- better working conditions in welfare»Arbetsvillkoren i välfärden måste spegla hur centrala jobben är för att samhället ska fungera.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Working conditions in welfare must reflect how central these jobs are for society to function.”
- short care queues»Ingen ska behöva känna oro över att få vård i tid.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one should have to worry about getting care in time.”
- state responsibility for competence supply»Staten har ett ansvar för att säkra kompetensförsörjningen, inte minst i välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state has a responsibility to secure competence supply, not least in welfare.”
The election manifesto explicitly promises raised wages and a good work environment in healthcare and shorter queues for treatment throughout the country, and the party programme says that queues shall decrease and accessibility increase.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly promises raised wages and a good work environment in healthcare and shorter queues for treatment throughout the country, and the party programme says that queues shall decrease and accessibility increase. The counter-proposal's demand for a sustained state investment for more healthcare beds, better work environment and a zero vision against work-related illness is exactly such a long-term investment. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar uttryckligen höjda löner och en god arbetsmiljö i vården samt kortare köer till behandling i hela landet, och partiprogrammet säger att köerna ska minska och tillgängligheten öka. Motförslagets krav på en varaktig statlig satsning för fler vårdplatser, bättre arbetsmiljö och en nollvision mot arbetsrelaterad ohälsa är just en sådan långsiktig satsning. Planen stöder därför motförslaget.
- good work environment in healthcaredecisive»höja lönerna och säkra en god arbetsmiljö i vården.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“raise wages and secure a good work environment in healthcare.”
- shorter healthcare queues»korta köerna till behandling i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“shorten queues for treatment throughout the country.”
- increased accessibility in healthcare»Köerna i vården ska minska och tillgängligheten ska öka.« (party programme ↗)“Queues in healthcare shall decrease and accessibility shall increase.”
- strengthened healthcare resources»förbättra vård och omsorg för äldre och stärka resurserna till hemsjukvården.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“improve care and support for elderly and strengthen resources for home nursing.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan promises more hospital beds through a bed billion and better state support to the regions, with an explicit goal of 90 percent occupancy rate.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan promises more hospital beds through a bed billion and better state support to the regions, with an explicit goal of 90 percent occupancy rate. It also establishes that working conditions in healthcare and elderly care must be improved. The counter-proposal's requirements for sustained state support, national goal and plan for more hospital beds and better working environment are thus exactly what the plan wants. The fact that responsibility remains with the regions is not addressed by the requirement.
Original (Swedish)
Planen lovar fler vårdplatser genom en platsmiljard och bättre statligt stöd till regionerna, med ett uttalat mål om 90 procents beläggningsgrad. Den slår också fast att arbetsvillkoren i vård och omsorg måste förbättras. Motförslagets krav på varaktigt statligt stöd, nationellt mål och plan för fler vårdplatser och bättre arbetsmiljö är därmed just vad planen vill. Att huvudmannaskapet ligger kvar hos regionerna berörs inte av kravet.
- bed billion for more hospital bedsdecisive»Vi vill skapa fler vårdplatser där det behövs med hjälp av en platsmiljard och bättre stöd till regionerna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to create more hospital beds where needed with the help of a bed billion and better support to the regions.”
- national goal for hospital beds»Genom en platsmiljard och ökat samarbete mellan kommunal och regional hälso- och sjukvård ökar vi möjligheterna att nå målet om en beläggningsgrad på 90% på våra sjukhus.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Through a bed billion and increased cooperation between municipal and regional healthcare we increase the possibilities to reach the goal of a 90% occupancy rate in our hospitals.”
- better working conditions in healthcare»Att förbättra arbetsvillkoren i vård och omsorg leder inte bara till bättre resultat utan ökar också möjligheterna för vårdpersonal att känna stolthet och utvecklas i sin yrkesroll.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Improving working conditions in healthcare and elderly care not only leads to better results but also increases the opportunities for healthcare staff to feel pride and develop in their professional role.”
- regional responsibility remains»Ansvaret för vården ska inte flyttas från regionerna till staten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Responsibility for healthcare shall not be transferred from the regions to the state.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto requires a national mobilization for more staffed care beds throughout the country and that healthcare staff are met with good working conditions and more colleagues.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto requires a national mobilization for more staffed care beds throughout the country and that healthcare staff are met with good working conditions and more colleagues. This is substantively what the counter-proposal asks for: a national goal, a sustained investment, and improved working environment. The plan furthermore wants the state to take greater responsibility for healthcare's strategic planning and competence supply.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver en nationell kraftsamling för fler bemannade vårdplatser i hela landet och att vårdens personal möts av goda arbetsvillkor och fler kollegor. Det är i sak vad motförslaget begär: ett nationellt mål, en varaktig satsning och förbättrad arbetsmiljö. Planen vill dessutom att staten tar ett större ansvar för sjukvårdens strategiska planering och kompetensförsörjning.
- national mobilization for care bedsdecisive»Vi vill därför nästa mandatperiod se en nationell kraftsamling för fler bemannade vårdplatser i hela landet så att du som patient kan få vård snabbare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We therefore want to see during the next term a national mobilization for more staffed care beds throughout the country so that you as a patient can receive healthcare faster.”
- better working conditions in healthcare»För att klara det måste de som arbetar inom vården mötas av goda arbetsvillkor, fler kollegor och bra löneutveckling.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“To manage that, those who work in healthcare must be met with good working conditions, more colleagues, and good wage development.”
- greater state responsibility for healthcare»Staten ska ta ett större ansvar för sjukvårdens strategiska planering, placering av högspecialiserad vård, beredskap och långsiktig kompetensförsörjning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state shall take greater responsibility for healthcare's strategic planning, placement of highly specialized care, preparedness, and long-term competence supply.”
- healthcare guarantee throughout the chain»Vårdgarantin ska omfatta hela vårdkedjan, från diagnostik och undersökningar till återbesök och rehabilitering.« (party programme ↗)“The healthcare guarantee shall cover the entire healthcare chain, from diagnosis and examinations to follow-up visits and rehabilitation.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto makes more care beds an explicit commitment and notes that Sweden has the lowest number of care beds per capita in Europe.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto makes more care beds an explicit commitment and notes that Sweden has the lowest number of care beds per capita in Europe. The plan also wants to transfer main responsibility to the state, introduce national care placement coordination and improve conditions in healthcare's shortage occupations. The counter-proposal's demand for permanent state support, national goal and national plan for more care beds and better working conditions thus directly respond to the plan's commitments.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet gör fler vårdplatser till ett uttryckligt åtagande och konstaterar att Sverige har lägst antal vårdplatser per capita i Europa. Planen vill dessutom flytta huvudmannaskapet till staten, införa en nationell vårdförmedling och förbättra villkoren i vårdens bristyrken. Motförslagets krav på permanent statligt stöd, nationellt mål och nationell plan för fler vårdplatser och bättre arbetsmiljö svarar därmed direkt mot planens åtaganden.
- more care bedsdecisive»Fler vårdplatser. Sverige har lägst antal vårdplatser per capita i Europa« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More care beds. Sweden has the lowest number of care beds per capita in Europe”
- state main responsibility for healthcare»Låt staten ta över ansvaret för vården med en gemensam organisation i stället för 21 olika.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Let the state take over responsibility for healthcare with one common organisation instead of 21 different.”
- better conditions in shortage occupations»Utbilda mer personal för sjukvården. Förbättrade villkor i vårdens bristyrken och minska behovet av dyr inhyrd personal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Educate more healthcare personnel. Improved conditions in healthcare's shortage occupations and reduce the need for expensive hired personnel.”
- national care coordination»Inför en nationell vårdförmedling som matchar vårdbehovet med den vårdkapacitet som finns i hela landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce a national care placement coordination system that matches care needs with the care capacity available throughout the country”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The election manifesto promises to strengthen healthcare staff through better working conditions and more hands in healthcare, to expand the queue improvement billion with targeted government resources, and to establish a national healthcare referral service.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto promises to strengthen healthcare staff through better working conditions and more hands in healthcare, to expand the queue improvement billion with targeted government resources, and to establish a national healthcare referral service. The counter-proposal's demand for sustained government support for more care places and better working conditions is in line with these commitments, although the plan prefers performance-based resources to new national steering forms. In substance, the demand is supported.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar att stärka vårdens medarbetare genom bättre arbetsmiljö och fler händer i vården, att utöka kömiljarden med riktade statliga resurser och att inrätta en nationell vårdförmedling. Motförslagets krav på varaktigt statligt stöd för fler vårdplatser och bättre arbetsmiljö ligger i linje med dessa åtaganden, även om planen hellre använder prestationsbaserade resurser än nya nationella styrformer. Sakligt sett stöds kravet.
- better working conditions in healthcaredecisive»Stärka vårdens medarbetare, bland annat genom att förbättra arbetsmiljön och möjligheterna till vidareutbildning – det behövs fler händer i vården som kan korta vårdköerna och avlasta personalen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen healthcare staff, including by improving working conditions and opportunities for further education - more hands are needed in healthcare to shorten queues and ease the workload of staff”
- targeted government resources to queues»Utöka kömiljarden genom att rikta särskilda prestationsbaserade resurser till köerna inom cancervården respektive barn- och ungdomspsykiatrin (BUP)« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Expand the queue improvement billion by directing special performance-based resources to queues in cancer care respectively child and adolescent psychiatry (BUP)”
- national healthcare referral service»Inrätta en nationell vårdförmedling som ska hjälpa patienter med lång väntetid att få vård i en annan del av landet där det finns ledig kapacitet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Establish a national healthcare referral service to help patients with long waiting times get care in another part of the country where there is available capacity”
- better working conditions»Minska förekomsten av delade turer i offentlig vård och omsorg« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the occurrence of split shifts in public healthcare and care”
flags: citat_migrerat
The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.
The plan explicitly requires that the number of hospital beds be fundamentally increased, that healthcare queues be abolished through a proper care guarantee and that security for healthcare staff be increased.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly requires that the number of hospital beds be fundamentally increased, that healthcare queues be abolished through a proper care guarantee and that security for healthcare staff be increased. The counter-proposal's demand for permanent state support, a national goal and a sustained investment in working environment and more hospital beds align directly with this. The plan furthermore recommends that the state to a greater extent take over primary responsibility for healthcare.
Original (Swedish)
Planen kräver uttryckligen att antalet vårdplatser i grunden ökas, att vårdköerna avskaffas genom en riktig vårdgaranti och att tryggheten för vårdpersonalen ökas. Motförslagets krav på permanent statligt stöd, ett nationellt mål och en varaktig satsning på arbetsmiljö och fler vårdplatser ligger direkt i linje med detta. Planen förordar dessutom att staten i större utsträckning tar över huvudansvaret för sjukvården.
- more hospital bedsdecisive»Sverigedemokraterna vill också i grunden öka antalet vårdplatser för att klara det växande behovet av sjukhusvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats also wants to fundamentally increase the number of hospital beds to meet the growing need for hospital care.”
- abolished queues»Avskaffa vårdköerna och införa en riktig vårdgaranti« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Abolish healthcare queues and introduce a proper care guarantee”
- state primary responsibility for healthcare»Sverigedemokraterna vill också se över hur staten i större utsträckning kan ta över huvudansvaret för sjukvården, med utgångspunkt i framgångsrika exempel i Norge och Danmark.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats also wants to review how the state to a greater extent can take over primary responsibility for healthcare, based on successful examples in Norway and Denmark.”
- better working environment in healthcare»Öka tryggheten för vårdpersonal och på akutmottagningar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase security for healthcare staff and at emergency departments”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:SoU3)
- Committee report full text (HA01SoU3)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2021/22:4771 — med anledning av skr. 2021/22:249 Vissa frågor inom hälso- och sjukvårdsområdet av Acko Ankarberg Johansson m.fl. (KD)
- Motion 2021/22:4775 — med anledning av skr. 2021/22:249 Vissa frågor inom hälso- och sjukvårdsområdet av Camilla Waltersson Grönvall m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:28 — med anledning av skr. 2021/22:281 Vissa frågor inom hälso- och sjukvårdsområdet av Ulrika Westerlund (MP)
- Regeringens skrivelse 2021/22:249 — Vissa frågor inom hälso- och sjukvårdsområdet
- Regeringens skrivelse 2021/22:281 — Vissa frågor inom hälso- och sjukvårdsområdet
Source: The Swedish Parliament