Region Kalmar län prioritizes staff to improve healthcare continuity

Region Kalmar län is implementing new measures to prioritize healthcare employees as part of a strategy to improve patient safety and care continuity. A new red-green majority in the region aims to make Kalmar län one of Sweden’s best workplaces by focusing on workforce stability and reducing reliance on expensive agency staff.

Key initiatives include increasing the wellness allowance by 25% to 2,500 SEK per year and strengthening work environment efforts. The region faces challenges from an aging population and high competition for skilled labor. Officials noted that high turnover and dependence on temporary staffing disrupt continuity and increase costs, whereas retaining permanent staff is seen as fundamental to patient security.

In the broader Swedish primary care context, experts highlight that insufficient continuity remains a critical weakness. Research indicates that approximately 30% of doctors leave their health centers within a year, and two-thirds leave within five years. To combat this, there is a growing push for team-based models of care to ensure that patient trust and stability do not rely solely on a single profession.