(cont.) Answer to interpellation 2024/25:323 on the Health and Medical Services Act

Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! Just before the break, when the parliamentary parties transitioned to group meetings, the member asked me what the government and the minister are doing to ensure that patients receive care in a timely manner. The interpellation is about that: What is being done so that patients actually receive the care they are entitled to by law?

One way is, of course, that we use our supervisory authority Ivo, which monitors how things are going. But when it has not worked or been sufficient, the responsible region – it is they who have the responsibility – needs to consider what they do and what they can change.

The government assesses, however, that we also need to contribute more money. Last Wednesday, we announced 3.7 billion to strengthen primary care and good local care. The money went to both municipalities and regions. Special support has gone to the Northern Healthcare Region, the four Norrland regions, which work in a special way with rural and sparsely populated areas. Also a smaller sum, but very important, means that we now receive a national annual support for the Glesbygdsmedicinskt centrum in Storuman, which can also be a source of knowledge for everyone who works with developing care and making it more local, more coordinated and more patient-centered for the patients.

Yesterday we announced 2 billion in sector support to the regions. Those funds are received completely without counter-requirements. It is a consequence of the inflation that has occurred but which, of course, has transitional effects. Therefore, it is important to provide support to the regions.

We also announced that we are providing 5.9 billion to the regions so that they can increase healthcare capacity by shortening queues and improving competence supply and the work environment. It is the only way to succeed with increased healthcare capacity. We are also providing half a billion to shorten queues in a special way. We want to test a new method that we have not used before, where we build in a learning process to see if we can find better methods to shorten queues beyond the mandate that the regions have by law to provide care in a timely manner.

It is, therefore, a very large amount of money. It is absolutely necessary that the government supports the regions so that they can succeed in what they do.

Let me finally return to the fact that we also provide money to the municipalities. The regions have the largest part of the health and medical care, but the municipalities account for a part. It feels good, Madam Speaker, to transition to highlighting the fact that Yasmine Bladelius, after an incredibly long time in the Swedish Riksdag with a major mandate within social policy and health and medical care issues, will now transition to the municipalities' work and work full-time with these issues solely from a Helsingborg perspective.

I have met the member for four years, during the previous parliamentary term in the Social Affairs Committee. We sat for different parties, of course, but what I encountered was a very committed person who has exactly that drive. It is party-political ideology that drives you as a member, and as a Member of Parliament, one should be driven by that. We are not just anyone. We are elected by the voters on a party's list, with the possibility of personal preference.

Yasmine Bladelius is ideologically clear. She knows which party she stands for and is also driven in these issues. Initially, I saw very much of the member within the ANDTS area, but she has also broadened herself, not least during this mandate period, to many more areas.

I want to wish the member all the best, but I also want to say: Keep all that commitment to the overall healthcare system! Health and medical care is also conducted by the municipalities, and we will return when it comes to clarifying those parts. It can't get any better than having long experience from the Riksdag and now getting to work full-time on municipal issues.

Let me, Madam Speaker, conclude by expressing my thanks to Member Yasmine Bladelius and wishing the Member all the best in the upcoming assignments.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Yasmine Bladelius (S)

Madam Speaker! I am a bit moved, but I will nevertheless try to fill my two minutes of speaking time.

I raise Helsingborg Hospital and the fact that the hospital board in Helsingborg deliberately violates the healthcare guarantee by ignoring sending patients further to available care, simply to save money. I do that because I fundamentally believe that it is wrong. I do not think one should work in that way. It undermines the trust in healthcare.

But I am doing it too, Madam Speaker, because Helsingborg is my home municipality. Just as the Minister for Health and Care says, this is probably my last debate against her in this chamber because in about a month I plan to go home and become a municipal councilor in Helsingborg.

I would therefore, Madam Speaker, like to take the opportunity to sincerely thank the Minister for Health for the solid work you did during the previous parliamentary term in the Committee on Health and Welfare, not only because you led our committee meetings in a respectful and incredibly good way, but also for the fine conversations and the very many and sometimes tough debates, which were always incredibly respectful from the Minister for Health's side.

I really appreciate our time together. I appreciate your commitment, not least in healthcare issues. I hope that moving forward we can have a dialogue on how we should strengthen health and medical care also from a municipal perspective.

Madam Speaker! I would like to thank the Minister for Health in this final debate. It has been terribly wonderful, and I look forward to the coming time.

(THIRD DEPUTY SPEAKER: Given how the debate has now developed, the Speaker is tolerant regarding the use of "du" in the chamber.)

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)

Statsrådet Acko Ankarberg Johansson (KD)

Madam Speaker! I thank the Speaker for the indulgence. I realize that I made a mistake in my previous contribution. The mistake, however, was not thanking Member Yasmine Bladelius.

It is excellent with the good reputation Helsingborg has for Bostad först, a social policy initiative that we have jointly tried to spread throughout Sweden. It affects many people, not least now that we are taking the next step with the Co-morbidity Investigation and see that it is succeeding. I assume that the member will push forward, both in that issue and in many other issues that I know the member is passionate about. I look forward to the combination with health and medical care.

Thank you very much, member, for our joint work and pleasant conversations! It has been tough debates, but that is how it should be. I wish the member all the best in the new.

The interpellations debate was hereby concluded.

The speech at riksdagen.se, in Swedish (opens in a new tab)