The consequence could be both poorer hospitals in Oslo and other new hospitals in Southern and Eastern Norway being postponed, says a representative of the doctors’ union to news. New hospitals in Gaustad and Aker will replace Ullevål hospital. The price tag is up to NOK 42 billion. And that’s just the first stage. In order to pay for the new hospital buildings, Oslo University Hospital (OUS) must save billions on operations. – We don’t think it can be done, says Anne Marit Wang Førland. She is a corporate representative for the Medical Association at Oslo University Hospital. NYE GAUSTAD: Price tag NOK 20.4 billion, according to the long-term financial plan for Oslo University Hospital. Illustration: New Rikshospitalet project group “Extremely high risk” Together with ten other trade unions, the Medical Association sounds the alarm about “extremely high risk” in the controversial projects. These associations have signed the statement of concern: The Norwegian Professional Association of Nurses The Norwegian Medical Association NITO The Norwegian Association of Radiographers The Association of Psychologists The Norwegian Association of Occupational Therapists The Norwegian Association of Occupational Therapists The Education Association The joint organization The Midwives’ Association Must deliver profit The logic behind the savings requirement is this: New hospitals are more efficient than old hospitals. Therefore, they can operate more cheaply. And after new and more modern hospitals are completed in 2031, they will run NOK 1.5 billion cheaper than the old ones annually. This gain is a significant part of the repayment of those hospitals. The clinics report that they are only able to save NOK 1.2 billion. This is clear from a status report that the hospital management gave the shop stewards in June. 300 million missing So 300 million is missing annually, the associations point out in the note. – To improve efficiency in the order of magnitude that has been outlined is completely unrealistic, says Anne Marit Wang Førland in the Medical Association. – What happens if you just continue with the projects anyway? – It will go beyond patient treatment. You have to reduce staffing, she says. NYE AKER: Price cut NOK 21.9 billion, according to the long-term financial plan for Oslo University Hospital. Illustration: Team Aker – Much left out And it doesn’t stop there. The unions point out that several things are missing from the plans. There is only one kitchen in the hospitals. – In the plans that are now available, a number of significant cost elements have been omitted, they write. Nor have increased building prices been factored in to a large enough extent, they believe. – There is great uncertainty related to building material costs, says Anne Marit Wang Førland. – What conclusions should OUS, Health South-East and the government draw from it? – They must look at the plans for the new buildings, see if there are other options that are less costly. Build in stages, do not demolish new premises and fully usable buildings, she says. – Will affect other hospitals According to the Medical Association, the financial situation strengthens the arguments for preserving Ullevål. – It will put all the hospitals in Helse Sør-Öst in a very difficult situation, warns Christian Grimsgaard. He is the doctors’ leading union representative in the large health region. WANT TO PRESERVE ULLEVÅL: Medical union representative Christian Grimsgaard believes it is quite obvious that Ullevål hospital cannot be closed down. Photo: Thomas Barstad Eckhoff / Legeforeningen According to Grimsgaard, it is “completely obvious” that you should preserve Ullevål and not start the big building projects. – If the economy develops somewhat in the direction of what is usual, there will be more than 10 billion missing from the project, he believes. – Which other hospitals are then at risk? – Sykehuset Innlandet (new Mjøssykehus, jour. note) is the biggest project. It has already been postponed by a year. – This applies to development projects in Sørlandet, Ahus, Østfold. Actually our entire health region, says Christian Grimsgaard. Will be able to save more The head of the Oslo hospitals gives the trade unions the right that NOK 300 million is missing a year as it looks today. NOT WORRIED: Bjørn Atle Bjørnbeth, CEO at Oslo University Hospital. Photo: Olav Juven – That’s right, says CEO of OUS, Bjørn Atle Bjørnbeth. However, he is not worried. He believes that a lot will happen in medicine and technology that will make it possible to save more. – I am quite sure that the services we will be operating in 2031 will be completely different in a way that we cannot see today. – I am sure that we will experience things that cost more money, which will create challenges in that area. – But I am also very sure that there are areas where we will be able to cut expenses in a way that we cannot see, says Bjørnbeth. The OUS director is also not very worried about the high construction costs we see today. Bjørn Atle Bjørneth points out that the major procurement is a long way off, and that much may have changed by then. THE CORE OF THE CONTROVERSY: The government and the health bureaucrats want to close Ullevål hospital. Photo: Espen Willander, David Haugen / news Aerial photo
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– No money to build new Oslo hospitals – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
