This is the case. The Minister of Health will present a new health and cooperation plan that includes several million extra for the hospitals. The plan has a separate chapter dedicated to women’s health and maternity care, and aims to ensure safe and equal health care throughout the country. The plan facilitates increased recruitment of midwives, and contains measures such as cooperation agreements between the hospitals and the maternity services in the municipality. The government has a new staffing standard for midwives on the horizon, and the plan contains measures to get more training positions in place. The plan also contains changes to the accompanying service, which is important for women in labor with a long journey to the nearest place of birth. The government is proposing major changes in the way hospitals are to be financed, including by removing efficiency cuts, returning to the old interest rate model, and reducing requirements for equity in order to obtain loans for development or upgrades. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAi. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. – We are proud that we are succeeding in an important work that has a lot to say for the population, says Hanne Charlotte Schjelderup, leader of the Midwives’ Association. On Friday, the government will present the National Health and Cooperation Plan. One of the objectives is to ensure a safe and equal health service throughout the country, and the plan has a separate chapter dedicated to women’s health and maternity services. Because there is a part that needs to be changed, according to Schjelderup. – For many years, maternity services have been de-prioritised, simply because the hospitals do not make enough money from those giving birth, she says. – When hospitals constantly have to make cuts, it is therefore the delivery service that suffers in many cases, Schjelderup believes. The hospitals are also struggling to get hold of enough midwives, in addition to high levels of sickness absence. Something the National Audit Office also concludes. – The workload is hard. Especially in the largest maternity wards, she says. But in the new Health and Cooperation Plan there are several pieces of good news that Schjelderup believes can help turn the situation around. The same midwife throughout the pregnancy Firstly, the new plan facilitates several measures to increase recruitment. One of the measures is a cooperation agreement between the hospitals and the maternity services in the municipality. – It means that the midwives can work both as municipal midwives and be employed in the maternity ward. This way they can follow the pregnant women throughout their pregnancy, says Schjelderup. – It will provide increased continuity for all parties. Research shows that it is good for those giving birth. This model is also something many midwives want. The government also has a new staffing standard for midwives on the stairs. – This is an important move to ensure that we get enough midwives in place, explains Schjelderup. One of the measures is to get more education positions in place, so that midwifery students can be in work while they are studying. The government’s new plan also contains changes to another controversial offer: the escort service. 300 children are born before they arrive at the maternity ward Today it is the case that all births who have more than 90 minutes’ travel time to the nearest place of birth must be accompanied by a midwife in the ambulance. This is the regional health authority’s responsibility, but the responsibility can be resolved in collaboration with the municipality. When maternity services around the country are removed or reduced, the need for follow-up services increases. – Every year around 300 children are born before they reach the hospital. Either unplanned at home or on the road. Such incidents increase the risk of maternal and infant mortality at birth and the child’s first day of life and show how important a good follow-up service is, says Hanne Schjelderup. – What does the new plan specifically say about the follow-on offer? – We must get into that in more detail when the plan is presented on Friday. Hanne Charlotte Schjelderup, who herself has been part of the women’s health committee, feels confident that the promises in the new plan are not just big words. Simply because the government is planning major changes in the way hospitals are to be financed. TAKING OVER: On Friday, Ingvild Kjerkol will present the National Health and Cooperation Plan. A plan with several changes for the Norwegian health service. Photo: Ole Berg-Rusten / NTB Changing the financing of the hospitals When Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol gave the annual hospital speech in January, she spoke, among other things, about financing. Much of what Kjerkol mentioned is part of the plan that will be presented tomorrow, according to Hanne Charlotte Schjelderup. She highlights three important points: The government will remove the efficiency cuts. This will amount to around NOK 500 million a year. They are going back to the old interest rate model. This can result in savings of between NOK 200–300 million. The government reduces equity capital requirements to obtain loans for development or upgrades from 30 to 10 per cent. – We believe that with better finances for the hospitals, the risk of cuts in maternity services is smaller, says a relieved Hanne Charlotte Schjelderup. – It is very good that we now have such a plan. We have worked very hard and worked closely with the Minister of Health and the government to strengthen maternity care. – But are you on target? – This is, after all, a process. But we are very satisfied with the work the government has done. There are good measures on the way and we are very pleased that we are moving in a positive direction.
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Heralds major changes in maternity services when the new National Health and Cooperation Plan is presented – news Nordland
