The number of care places per capita has decreased continuously in recent decades in Sweden, as well as in other high-income countries. Between 2010 and 2020, the number of care places decreased from 2.7 to 2.1 per 1000 inhabitants. In 2021, there were on average just over 17 500 disposable care places in Sweden, of which 80% were within somatic inpatient specialized care. At the same time, the number of overcrowding and displaced patients in somatic care has increased. In December 2022, there were an average of 8.8 overoccupancies and 2.9 relocations per 100 available care places in the country’s hospitals. However, the regional differences are large.
The government recognized the need to increase the number of care places within the health care system and decided on 17 February 2023 to give the National Board of Health and Welfare the task of distributing close to SEK 2 billion in performance-based payments to the regions to increase the number of care places. The National Board of Health and Welfare is also tasked with developing proposals for a national plan to reduce the shortage of available care places. The assignments aim to strengthen all hospital care and that more disposable care places should be created where they are most efficient in order to strengthen patient safety.