Requirements for health care products and other equipment to protect healthcare personnel

The plan draws from the pandemic the conclusion that preparations with protective equipment were too poor and that care staff were forced to make a heroic effort with far too few resources. The programme requires higher demands on the working environment as part of strengthened labour law. That the law explicitly shall protect healthcare personnel's health and safety follows from these commitments regarding personnel's conditions.

• shortage of protective equipmentdecisive»Det fanns för få vårdplatser, alltför belastade vårdcentraler, för lite personal och för dåliga förberedelser med skyddsutrustning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“There were too few care beds, over-burdened healthcare centres, too little staff and poor preparations with protective equipment.”
• higher demands on working conditions»Vänsterpartiet arbetar för en förstärkt arbetsrätt som innebär tryggare anställningar, högre krav på arbetsmiljön och en starkare ställning för kollektivavtalen.« (party programme ↗)“The Left Party works for strengthened labour law which means securer employment, higher demands on the working environment and a stronger position for collective agreements.”
• healthcare staff's vulnerability»Många har tagit extrapass på sina jobb inom vården och omsorgen, och gjort en heroisk insats med alltför knappa resurser.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Many have taken extra shifts at their jobs in care and support and made a heroic effort with far too few resources.”
• strengthened conditions for healthcare staff»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's conditions and working environment.”

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's position is that welfare becomes weaker when staff lack conditions and that oversight of staff's working environment must be improved; the party programme demands that working life is organised so that all can feel security for life and health. An addition to the law that equipment shall also protect care staff's health and safety lies thus in the plan's direction. However, the law's wording is not dealt with in the documents.

• better working environment oversight in caredecisive»Fler ska utbildas och anställas inom äldreomsorgen och tillsynen av personalens arbetsmiljö ska förbättras.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More must be trained and employed in elderly care and oversight of staff's working environment must be improved.”
• security for life and health at work»Det måste organiseras så att alla kan känna trygghet till liv« (party programme ↗)“It must be organised so that all can feel security for life”
• staff's conditions»Välfärden blir svagare när personalen inte har förutsättningar att göra sitt bästa jobb.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Welfare becomes weaker when staff do not have conditions to do their best work.”
• high demands for working conditions»De gemensamt finansierade verksamheterna ska fylla högt ställda krav på bra arbetsvillkor« (party programme ↗)“Commonly financed activities must meet high demands for good working conditions”

The election manifesto demands increased wages and a good working environment in healthcare and that the working environment should be sustainable throughout life, and the party programme that everyone has the right to a good physical and psychosocial working environment. An addition that equipment should also protect healthcare workers' health and safety is a direct expression of that commitment.

• good working environment in healthcaredecisive»höja lönerna och säkra en god arbetsmiljö i vården.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“raise wages and ensure a good working environment in healthcare.”
• right to good working environment»Alla har rätt till friskvård och en god fysisk och psykosocial arbetsmiljö.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has the right to health services and a good physical and psychosocial working environment.”
• sustainable working environment throughout life»I ett jämställt samhälle ska kvinnors arbete värderas lika högt som mäns, och arbetsmiljön vara hållbar hela livet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In an equal society women's work should be valued as highly as men's, and the working environment should be sustainable throughout life.”
• safe healthcare»En av grundprinciperna i vården är att ingen patient ska komma till skada.« (party programme ↗)“One of the basic principles in healthcare is that no patient should come to harm.”

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 makes better working conditions in health and care a main issue: staff should be able to focus on their core mission and recover, and the poor working conditions in care should be corrected. It also places greater responsibility on employers for preventive measures. The fact that the law's requirement for equipment should explicitly also protect staff health and safety aligns with this, even though the plan does not address the law text.

• better working conditions in caredecisive»Människor som jobbar inom vården drabbas oftare av stressrelaterad psykisk ohälsa än i mansdominerade yrken, och i många fall har de sämre arbetsvillkor och lägre löner. Det ska vi ändra på.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“People working in care more often suffer from stress-related mental health problems than in male-dominated professions, and in many cases have worse working conditions and lower wages. We will change that.”
• safe working environment for care staff»Hon eller han ska ha möjlighet att fokusera på sitt kärnuppdrag, vidareutbilda sig med bibehållen lön och återhämta sig när det behövs.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“He or she should have the opportunity to focus on their core mission, further their education with maintained salary and recover when needed.”
• employer's preventive responsibility»Arbetsgivare bör ta ett större ansvar för förebyggande insatser och rehabilitering.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Employers should take greater responsibility for preventive measures and rehabilitation.”

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 requires that those working in care be met with good working conditions and that publicly financed employers are models in workplace environment issues. An explicit statutory requirement for equipment that protects staff health and safety is in line with this. The plan also wants to make labour shortage occupations in care attractive, which presupposes a secure work environment.

• good working conditions in caredecisive»de som arbetar inom vården mötas av goda arbetsvillkor, fler kollegor och bra löneutveckling« (2022 manifesto ↗)“those working in care are met with good working conditions, more colleagues, and good wage development”
• public employers as models»Arbetsgivare i offentligt finansierad verksamhet ska vara förebilder« (party programme ↗)“Employers in publicly financed activity shall be models”
• attractive care professions»Bristyrken ska bli drömjobb.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Labour shortage occupations shall become dream jobs.”

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 requires a high level of ambition in laws and work for good working conditions and that occupational health protection considers both physical and mental health of employees. The election manifesto wants to improve conditions in the healthcare shortage occupations. An explicit addition that the equipment shall protect healthcare workers' health and safety is thus in line with the plan's occupational health commitment.

• high ambition in occupational health workdecisive»arbetet för bra arbetsmiljöer.« (party programme ↗)“work for good working conditions.”
• good occupational safety»arbetsmiljö ska ta hänsyn till såväl fysisk som psykisk« (party programme ↗)“working environment shall consider both physical and mental”
• better conditions for healthcare workers»Utbilda mer personal för sjukvården. Förbättrade villkor i vårdens bristyrken och minska behovet av dyr inhyrd personal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Educate more personnel for healthcare. Improved conditions in healthcare shortage occupations and reduce need for expensive contracted personnel.”
• adaptation to employees' needs»Stora ansträngningar bör göras för att anpassa« (party programme ↗)“Major efforts should be made to adapt”

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 wants to strengthen healthcare staff among other things through better working conditions and establishes that the pandemic's shortcomings in preparedness must lead to change, with better stockpiles of medical equipment. An addition that the equipment shall also protect staff health and safety aligns with this. However, the law's wording is not addressed in the plan.

• better working conditions in healthcaredecisive»Stärka vårdens medarbetare, bland annat genom att förbättra arbetsmiljön och möjligheterna till vidareutbildning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen healthcare staff, among other things by improving the working environment and opportunities for further training”
• pandemic lessons»Coronakommissionens slutsatser om att äldreomsorgen inte stod förberedd och rustad att möta samhällsspridningen i pandemin måste leda till förändring.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Corona Commission's conclusions that elderly care was not prepared and equipped to meet community spread in the pandemic must lead to change.”
• preparedness for medical equipment»Utöver bättre livmedelsberedskap behöver Sverige bygga upp bättre beredskapslager av till exempel läkemedel och sjukvårdsmateriel.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In addition to better food preparedness, Sweden needs to build up better stockpiles of for example medicines and medical equipment.”

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 commits to increasing safety for healthcare staff and at emergency departments and states that no one should be seriously injured at work and that every workplace should have adequate occupational health work. An explicit addition to the law that the equipment should also protect the health and safety of staff meets these commitments. The plan particularly points to threats and violence against healthcare staff as a growing problem.

• safety for healthcare staffdecisive»Öka tryggheten för vårdpersonal och på akutmottagningar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase safety for healthcare staff and at emergency departments”
• adequate occupational health work»Ingen ska behöva avlida eller skadas allvarligt på jobbet. Varje svensk arbetsplats ska ha ett fullgott arbetsmiljöarbete som skapar trygghet för medarbetarna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“No one shall need to die or be seriously injured at work. Every Swedish workplace shall have adequate occupational health work that creates safety for employees.”
• threats and violence in care»En ytterligare konsekvens av den nya samhällsbilden är oroligheter på akutmottagningar och ökade inslag av hot och våld mot vårdpersonal.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“A further consequence of the new social structure is unrest at emergency departments and increased instances of threats and violence against healthcare staff.”
• safe working life»Öka tryggheten och säkerheten i arbetslivet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase safety and security in working life”

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.