Karolinska will have to save over a billion – 400 services to be removed

Karolinska university hospital are in a serious financial position. It is the board's words, when the hospital's annual report for the year 2018 is finished. The financial statements show a minusresultat at 822 million. Karolinska is the Stockholm region's largest business and has a turnover of 18 billion.

Håkan Sörman took over as chairman of the board in may 2018 and succeeded the then chairman of the board, which had business interests in companies that did business with the Karolinska. At Sörmans access the forecast was for net profit minus sek 200 million. Since then it has, therefore, the deficit run riot.

to the hospital at the beginning of 2018 had a savings target at over a half billion and savings of 419 million have been implemented. But other worries have been erected during the year.

for Example, the hospital has scored a major cost for pension payments than anticipated, with more than 200 million. The hospital's utflytt of care has been delayed – and that DN told, the hospital has äskat more money by the county, now the region, in order to cover up for this, but it has been refused. One reason is that the Karolinska received hefty financial contributions during the year, among other things, to shorten the waiting lists. And when the hospital entered in 2019, with an even larger deficit.

– It is very important now that the hospital receives the order of the economy. It must be done this year, otherwise it overshadows everything else, " says Håkan Sörman.

all of the features and themes to see over the workforce and now added a savings of 420 million, which means that 400 services on an annual basis to be removed. Karolinska today has 16,000 employees. How savings are to be made, the board has not specified.

Karolinskas chairman of the board Håkan Sörman. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT

– at the same time, we have problems with staffing and, therefore, we do not want to save on nurses. But it is about customizing the suit. We have probably more staff than what should be in order to cope with the conditioner, especially at the New Karolinska, says Håkan Sörman.

at the hospital's activities arouse strong reactions among the employees. A nurse has responded to the significant increase in managers, as DN told you about, and notes that the information so far received on the reception, where her work is to a sjukskötersketjänst after all, should be withdrawn.

Interesting that the ones who decide on what should be saved on the would never come on the idea to save on any chefstjänst but it is us on the floor they save on. They see their own houses in order, " says the nurse.

that savings will also be made on the hospital's staff and administration.

" we need to do. We have to protect the healthcare business.

He recalls the hospital's new slogan.

– Now it is truly ”Patient first”.

expected to avoid the savings of 175 million, partly as a consequence of care that would have moved from Karolinska will be left behind. But the Swedish work environment authority has made inspections and the board want improvements to be made while at the same time want to reduce the överbeläggningarna. At present, the Karolinska huge shortage of beds which means that överbeläggningarna increased.

– the Goal is that the coating will reduce to 95 per cent and not lying on the 102 as it is now.

Despite this, the remaining 550 million of the deficit that the board is not covered with the savings. Instead, discussions are being conducted with regionledningen.

" We hope to get a hearing for the highly specialized health care at Karolinska is actually much more expensive in unit price than other care. The difference is made not in the present time of the agreements that we have. But the highly specialized mission has significance both for the price of care and drugs.

with value-based health care the Boston Consulting Group, promoted and retained by Karolinska to put in place, would improve the efficiency of care and to get to grips with the hospital's financial problems. But the model was introduced without economic calculation.

the DN in a series of articles examined the Karolinskas the introduction of value-based care and konsultinköp made in connection with the introduction of the untested economic model.

the board presented a critical report on the new operating model. It showed serious risks when patients, particularly people with co-morbidity, is at risk of falling between the cracks in the diagnosflödena to be pure. In addition, it highlighted both the unclear responsibility in the roles for the new bosses, to the many flows drives costs, and not least that the economy is no longer possible to control at a lower level – among patientflödescheferna, which according to the model would have financial responsibility.

" I am convinced that it has significance to the information for förstalinjecheferna has been lacking. It is not so easy to keep their budget when you don't know how to proceed, " says Håkan Sörman.

there you may weigh against to the previous bosses had so many subordinates. But I also believe that more managers means more meetings and increased administration. The model is not sacred.