Regions say targeted surgery funding displaced higher-need patients

An SVT News review of regional reports shows that the government’s billion-krona funding programme for specific operations has led patients with greater medical needs to be pushed aside. Several regions criticise the programme’s design and say it has made prioritisation more difficult.

“If the regions depart from the needs principle, they are committing serious errors,” Health Care Minister Elisabet Lann of the Christian Democrats said.

In 2025, the regions received targeted government grants to increase the number of cataract, hip replacement and prolapse operations and reduce waiting times. Almost all regions said the programme had shortened waiting times, according to the final report from Socialstyrelsen, the authority that received the regions’ reports. More patients were able to receive care from other providers in particular.

At the same time, the programme affected which patients were prioritised in several regions. SVT News reviewed the regions’ reports to Socialstyrelsen.

Sixteen of the 21 regions said the targeted programme had led, or risked leading, to other healthcare being pushed aside, including care for patients with greater medical needs.

Region Värmland wrote that the performance requirement had caused “a certain displacement effect” in eye care and affected patients with greater medical priority.

In Dalarna, planned operations had to be reprioritised when hip operations were assessed as more urgent. Blekinge also described “a certain displacement effect”.

“In summary, we see that this creates problems in ensuring equal care,” Region Jämtland Härjedalen wrote.

The criticism echoes earlier warnings from organisations including the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and the Swedish Medical Association.

Lann said the government had selected areas where spare capacity was available and that the programme was not intended to displace other patients.

“I want to remind you that the regions are not profit-making companies. If they are driven by financial incentives and depart from the needs principle, they are committing serious errors,” she said.

Several regions contacted by SVT said they were responsible for prioritisation, but that the short notice had made the work more difficult. They also said it was hard to reject government funding when their finances were under pressure and residents expected investments in healthcare.

The regions said long-term, general government grants would reduce the risk of displaced care and incorrect prioritisation. Lann said the regions already receive such funding.

“This is only a small part of our investment in improving access to care,” she said.