He has a difficult task, Eivind Hansen. Like all other hospital directors in the country, he has to save. Expenditure in the hospital sector increases far more than what they receive in the state budget. In Health Bergen alone, this means NOK 500 million. The solution has been to cut off all rehabilitation and new construction that has not been started. This saves Helse Bergen around NOK 150 million. The rest must be taken in from around the enterprise – and now the hospital has decided how. In total, the clinics must save NOK 260 million. – The patients will hopefully notice little. But our employees will probably notice that the budget is tight. It can be long and demanding days, says the managing director. – I hope that this will not affect the patients. But I don’t look away from it. BEING TRAVELED: Here at the psychiatric clinic in Haukeland, one thinks at the same time that there will be more to do. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news No to CT and MRI examinations All parts of Helse Bergen must become more efficient. This also applies to those who treat the patients. They must prioritize more strictly. – It may be that you want a CT scan or MRI scan, and consider that there is a need for it. But doctors more often have to say no if they don’t think it will provide new knowledge. – They simply want to be stricter with the patients? – We have to prioritize harder. We often talk about overdiagnosis or overtreatment. The framework we have now means that we have to have a more thorough discussion about these things. Hansen also announces a smaller cut in the number of beds. This will mean that the patients stay at the hospital for a shorter period. But at the same time that Helse Bergen has to cut, the activity as a whole must increase. Among other things, psychiatry believes that more needs to be done. Helse Bergen One of five health enterprises under Helse Vest. There are 14 institutions subject to Helse Bergen. Haukeland University Hospital is by far the largest. And, for example, Voss Hospital, Sandviken Hospital and three district psychiatric centers are under Helse Bergen. Around 12,300 are employed in Helse Bergen. The total budget for 2023 is approximately NOK 15 billion. The maternity ward at Voss hospital is likely to be saved in the budget plans. Photo: Tale Hauso / news Sparer fødeavdeling It is the board of Helse Bergen that finally adopted the budget for next year at the board meeting next week. In the proposal from the administration, some of the cuts that have been announced in the media are removed. Ambulance services in the Bergen area are hosted and largely shielded. The only adjustment is that the ambulance in Øygarden and Nordhordland will not be staffed two nights each week. The maternity ward at Voss is not closed in the summer. Hansen explains this by saying that they do not have an overview of the consequences. – We have to look at measures between the units in Helse Bergen. We also have to see if we can cooperate better in the whole of Western Norway in order to achieve a more rational use of resources. Haukeland University Hospital. Photo: Simon Skjelvik Brandseth / news Pushing the problem forward Everything is getting more expensive, and for hospitals. Electricity, equipment, medicines and labour. They are not compensated for this in the state budget. Putting investments on hold can be expensive in a few years, Hansen admits. These construction projects are being put on hold Modernization of Gamle Hovedbygg, Bergen. Upgrading Voss hospital. Upgrade of Security Psychiatry Sandviken, Bergen. New outpatient clinic and MRI at Kysthospitalet in Hagavik, Bjørnafjorden. New ambulance hall, Bergen. Upgrade of the central operation at Haukeland, Bergen. Modernization and expansion of the rehabilitation clinic at Nordås, Bergen. – In 2023, we push the problem a bit ahead of us. It’s not sticking under a chair. – Are you gambling that the framework from the state will become more spacious before long when you cut flat like this? – I wouldn’t say we gamble. But in an organization like this, which is so important to society, we must be careful not to tear down too much. The total budget for Helse Bergen next year is around NOK 15 billion. Investments at the coastal hospital in Hagavik will be postponed. Photo: Health Bergen
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Eivind Hansen announces cuts in new construction and wants to say no to patients – news Vestland
