A full-time boost and working time

The plan includes broad estimates of the possible effects of the proposed measures. The single measure with the greatest potential for increasing the supply of labour is a higher proportion of full-time posts for employees in the health and care services who do not currently work full time.

‘There is a large number of part-time posts in the health and care sector, and more people want permanent full-time posts. If the proportion of full-time employment increases by 10 per cent across all age and educational groups, this could provide up to 22,000 additional full-time equivalent posts by 2040. There is significant potential here, which is why we will cooperate with the social partners on a Full-time Boost, so that more people have the opportunity to work a higher proportion of full time, and preferably in full-time posts,’ said Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre.

The Government also wishes to invite the social partners to cooperate on working time.

‘Questions relating to working time must be viewed in connection with staffing and full-time employment, and they must be resolved jointly. We will invite the social partners to a process to clarify and negotiate the assumptions and possible solutions concerning how working time and weekend work are organised in the sector,’ said Vestre.

More stable core staffing and reduced sickness absence

The Government is also launching a number of measures to reduce sickness absence in the health and care services. Measures in this priority area include mentoring and buddy schemes, as well as management models.

‘More stable core staffing will benefit everyone. It is more predictable for managers, employees and, not least, patients, users and next of kin. We therefore want solutions that ensure more stable core staffing and reduce the use of agency staff and temporary replacements,’ said Vestre.

Professional leadership in the services

In addition, the Government wishes to establish models for professional leadership within the health and care services.

‘Leadership is crucial to creating attractive workplaces and good services, while also reducing sickness absence. We will therefore give managers in the sector clearer frameworks and better conditions for restructuring measures that will help ensure sustainable services also in the future,’ said Minister of Health and Care Services Vestre.

The way forward for the plan

The measures in the plan are based on input from and dialogue with, among others, employers and employees, as well as next of kin, patients and users. The plan will be followed up in the hospitals through the annual letters of allocation and appropriations in the national budget.

The Government has announced a larger restructuring grant for municipalities, which municipalities may apply for and which is intended to provide the necessary scope for action to follow up the measures.

The Norwegian Directorate of Health will be given a role in supporting the further development and better coordination of digital tools for competence planning, so that they increasingly support planning and follow-up across service levels.