On Monday 18 December, the board of Oslo University Hospital (Ous) will adopt the budget for next year. There are plans to cut both staffing and beds. In the budget, it is proposed to remove 87 beds. These are only calculations, which can be adjusted after work with the budget in the clinics, the hospital writes in an e-mail to news. “An important perspective in this work is that the reduction in the number of staffed beds should not affect patient care and it should provide a basis for a better use of resources by our staff,” they write in the email. In addition, staffing will be reduced. – The consequence of that is increased work pressure, which results in sickness absence, which is already high. In the worst case, people quit, and we have examples of that. That’s what Svein Erik Urstrømmen says, chief shop steward for the nurses’ association. Closing the clinic Here is some of what is proposed in the budget: Cut 87 beds. In order to meet the budgets, the clinics actually had to cut over 400 man-years. The board believes that this is unrealistic. They nevertheless plan to reduce between 250 and 300 man-years. “This is still considered to be very demanding, but realistic,” writes the finance director in the budget proposal. The Clinic for Surgery, Inflammatory Medicine and Transplantation (Kit) will be closed from 1 February. The departments and businesses are to be transferred to other parts of the hospital. Must “save” 150 million The reason for the cuts are strict requirements for “profit”, or result. The hospital itself must pay for, among other things, the development of new hospitals in Oslo. Why is it like that? See explanation of the model the hospitals are managed according to below: Initially, the plan was to go 240 million “plus” this year, and 393 million next year. The board of Ous itself believes that this is unrealistic. Now the target has been “set down” to 100 million this year, and 150 million next year. The reason is that it takes more than a year to “restore the imbalance in operations”, writes the hospital in its email. – We believe that it is still too high, and that it is an unrealistic target, says Anne Marit Wang Førland, shop steward in the Medical Association. Even with a lower savings target, there will be cuts. Because even if the hospital gets more money from the state, the prices of everything go up. UNREALISTIC: Steward in the Medical Association, Anne Marit Wang Førland, believes the cut is risky for the patients at Ous. Photo: William Jobling / news Want to reduce staffing The most effective way to reduce costs is to reduce staffing. – Most of the clinics have budgeted for staffing reductions in order to maintain the budget limits while at the same time meeting the need for health care, the hospital writes in a written response to news. Trade union representatives at the hospital say the cuts will affect the offer to patients. – We already have growing waiting lists. We are unable to take away those who need treatment, says Urstrømmen. He believes that this will lead to even greater pressure for the employees. For Ous’ own figures show that the waiting time has increased since last year. And the number of patients who have waited six months or more has increased by 50 per cent in one year. Trade union representative Førland says that the equipment situation at the hospital is also critical. – There is a need to replace equipment to a much higher degree than we can manage, she says and adds: – It is risky for the patients, and negative for the working environment. She also says that if they take away 87 beds, it could lead to a risk of overcrowding. This can lead to patients having to lie in the corridors. – This means that you may not be treated in the way you should, and that bottlenecks will be created on the beds, she says.
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Will cut beds and staffing – news Oslo and Viken – Local news, TV and radio
