Health minister Elisabeth Lann (KD) describes the high sick leave in the healthcare sector as a failure and is now calling a crisis meeting with unions and employers. Sick leave is highest in female-dominated professions such as care, elderly care, and school, with three out of four stress-related illnesses affecting women, according to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency's report.
High sick leave in Sweden's healthcare sector has become an acute issue. Health minister Elisabeth Lann (KD) is calling a crisis meeting to address the situation, as reported by SVT News. She has invited representatives from unions such as the Swedish Association of Health Professionals and the Swedish Medical Association, as well as employers in the healthcare sector—an initiative previously requested by these organizations.
According to the Swedish Social Insurance Agency's annual report, sick leave is highest in female-dominated professions such as care, elderly care, and education. Three out of four people affected by stress-related illness are women. The report also indicates that the number of ongoing stress-related sick cases has increased by 11 percent since September 2019, reaching 35,800 individuals. Workplace challenges contribute to these high figures.
'I hope we can find areas to work on systematically together, because as it is now, it doesn't hold,' Lann told SVT. She also emphasized the need for dialogue: 'There is a need to sit down in the same room.'
The meeting aims to identify systematic solutions to reduce sick leave and improve the work environment in the sector.
