Regions use temporary staff – despite the blockade

Hired personnel are used to cope with the staffing during the Vårdförbundet’s blockade, as evidenced by the interest organization Swedish Consultant Nurses’ Association.
This is despite the fact that all the country’s regions have committed to reducing their dependence on hired nurses.

It has been a week since the Health Care Confederation introduced a blockade against overtime, overtime and new hires. But despite the fact that all the country’s regions have committed to reducing their use of hired nurses, the interest organization Swedish Consultant Nurses Association now testifies that hired personnel are used to manage staffing in many businesses during the conflict.

– We get calls about them being asked about extra passes in the regions. They are allowed to change tours and they notice that there is more pressure, says Cecilia Svanlind Thörn, vice-chairman of the Swedish Association of Consultant Nurses.

“We have a very high rental dependency”

Västernorrland is one of the regions where chartered nurses have been asked to take extra shifts during ongoing conflict.

– We have a very high rental dependency. We have departments that hardly have their own permanent staff. This system is not working and we must continue to break that rent dependence. But we will still need a certain amount of rental staff in the future as well, says Elina Backlund Arab (S), chairman of the health and medical care board in Region Västernorrland.

Not covered by the blockade

Rental nurses are not covered by the care association’s blockade, but their interest association still advises the members to reject extra passes in solidarity.

– What they have signed before the blockade came into effect, they must work for. But they shouldn’t take extra trips and jump in and cover or hold on and change passports, says Cecilia Svanlind Thörn.

– We are collegial and all are for patient safety. But we cannot continue to work in a business where we ourselves get sick in a business that is supposed to promote health, she concludes.

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