Stockholm County Council

General elections in Sweden

Parliament

CountyCouncils

Municipalities

• Democracy in three levels

• General elections in Sweden on the third Sunday in September –every four years: elections to Parliament, County Council Assemblies and Municipal Councils

The Swedish Parliament (Riksdag)- national level

• 349 members

• Passes laws

• Decides on state revenue (taxes) and expenditure

• Responsible for- roads- railways, airports- police, courts- universities and colleges

County Council– regional level

18 County Councils 2 Regions

• Own parliament –County Council Assembly

• Independent power of taxationand decisions

• Responsible for- healthcare- dental care- public transport

Municipality – local level

290 Municipalities

• Own parliament – Municipal Council

• Independent power of taxation and decision

• Responsible for- residents’ social welfare and local environment- compulsory and upper-secondary schools,pre-schools- eldercare

Stockholm County

26 municipalities2 million inhabitants

• Growth engine of great significance to Sweden

• 1/5 of Sweden’s population

• Social, economic and ecological sustainability

• Co-operation increases international competitiveness

• Environmental policy programme 2007-2011

• Culture grants and activities

Primary tasks

• Healthcare, dental care up to and including 19 years of age.

• Public transport, including Färdtjänsten and Waxholmsbolaget.

• Regional planning.

Facts and figures

• 44 000 employees of which 90 per cent work in health care.

• Health and dental care consitutes 2/3 of the budget.

• The budget is SEK 70 billion for 2010.

• 1/3 of the health care is bought by SLL and performed by private suppliers of care.

• 50 per cent of the public transport is financed by taxes, and 50 per cent by ticket purchases.

Public transport

• SL: 700 000 passengers on a normal weekday.

• More than half of all public transport journeys in Sweden are made using SL services.

• Färdtjänsten: 3.5 million trips per year.

• Färdtjänsten is of great social and practical importance for elderly and disabled passengers.

• Waxholmsbolaget: 3.8 passengers per year.

• The sea trafic is well integrated with the county’s public transport infrastrucutre.

Internationally groundbreaking research

• Co-operation with state-owned Karolinska Insitutet

• The Swedish state and Stockholm county council together put nearly SEK 1 billion into research, development and education each year.

• Focus on the translation of scientific discoveries into new, useful knowledge – for the benefit of the patient.

Cultural activities

• Support to cultural activities and regional associations.

• Main financier of Stockholm Concert Hall.

• Regional projects, such as Stockholm County Museum and Stockholm County Library.

County Council tax

Tax revenue, general government grants and equalisation 79%

Government grantsand other grants 3%

Patient fees and passenger fares 10%

Other revenue 8%

Revenue 2010:SEK 70 billion

County Council tax rate 2010: SEK 12.10 per taxable SEK 100

Organisation and governance

• County Council Assembly: 149 members – elected every four years

• County Council Executive Board: 19 regular members

• 150 boards, committees, sub-committees, companies, trusts, planning groups, etc.

• Platform of the political majority determines the political focus during the four-year term of office

• Dialogue, insight och contact details for county residents: www.sll.se

Distribution of seats 2006-2010

The Moderate Party 55

The Liberal Party 16

The Christian Democrats 9

The Centre Party 6

The Social Democratic Party 43

The Left Party 10

The Green Party 10

Majority

Opposition

From decision to realisation

Politicians:

- manages and coordinates operations- draws up budget, sets tax rate, patient fees and public transport fares

Daily operations:

- healthcare and public transport (own or private contractors)- regional planning- R&DE

Vårdval Stockholm

Challenges to tomorrow’s health care

• Demographic trends– Ageing population– Immigration

• New diagnosis and treatment– New technologies – Preventive treatment– Traditional vs alternative medicine

• New illnesses– Lifestyle diseases; obesity, burn-out– Pandemics and epidemics; swine flu

• New demands– The new patient makes demands – quality– The new patient is well-informed and knowledgable– The treatment agency becomes ”discussion partner”

Overall aim: care at close range

• Long-term planning for healthcare can be summarised in three words: choice, diversity and security.

Vårdval Stockholm

• Started January 1st, 2008• Covers:

– General practitioners with home nursing facilities– Paediatric health care centers– Midwifery clinics– Maternity– Chiropody– Speech and language therapy– Hip and knee joints– Cataracts

Aim

• To increase the patient’s influence on the care they receive, strengthen the patient’s rights– ”To move more power from the politicians to

the patients”

• Increased accessibility• Increased diversity• Possibility to compare healthcare directly

at www.vardguiden.se

Effects

• Better accessibility

• Easier to choose/switch care provider

• Increased level of quality in servicethorugh

• Increased incentives to provide the best care possible• more care providers - 30 more health care centres today

compared with 2006• More appointments with existing providers• Increased competition• Money follows the patient

Listing rules

• Persons choose to register at a clinic

• List of doctors or clinics• Rules governing doctors

ceasing to practise• ”Full lists”• Waiting lists

Renumeration

• Per listed person– Person who has chosen to register at the

clinic

• Per visit

Health care closer to home

Step 1:Vårdguiden –the HealthcareGuide

Step 2:Local healthcare

Step 3:Hospital care

From medical advice to emergency

• Vårdguiden – the Healthcare Guide– Advice and information round-the-clock– www.vardguiden.se– Telephone advice– Vårdguiden magazine 4 times a year

• Local healthcare– Family doctor’s, healthcare centres,

local emergency wards

• Hospital care– Emergency and planned specialist care– Highly specialised care

Facts and figures

• Everyday: 38 000 people visit healthcare providers20 000 people visit a doctor60 children are bornCa 500 people have surgery775 people admitted to hospital

• Every month: The healthcare guide has 600 000 visitors online

• Every year: 800 000 people contact the emergency service1.2 million people contact their local healthcare centre