Freedom of choice - freedom to choose among municipal and private care and nursing homes in Gothenburg.
This is what the City Council gave the elderly and care and welfare committee the task of introducing in the city.
Today, it is only possible to be placed in private housing if the city's own housing is fully occupied.
The new system will be introduced from 1 July 2021.
Cost of almost half a billion
In the administration's investigation, it can be read that about 50 people have already announced an interest in moving to a private home.
After that, an additional ten per month is expected until the turn of the year.
This would mean a total of 110 private places that the municipality needs to pay for in 2021 at a cost of SEK 33 million.
During the period 2021-2025, 650 private care and nursing places are expected to be added, at a cost of SEK 481 million.
Should the municipality have to buy all these places, it will be necessary to close about ten homes in its own stock, and lay off up to 600 staff.
Needed assistant nurses
Babbs Edberg is administrative director at the health and care administration in the city of Gothenburg.
She does not believe that the new system will lead to unemployed assistant nurses or care assistants.
- We do not think there will be so many people who lose their jobs because we need good assistant nurses, it is a shortage.
We will need every single one of them, she says.
When it comes to fears that the elderly could get worse with private actors, which according to the union are not as easy to control, Babbs Edberg says that the municipality sets the same requirements for both municipal and private activities and follows up that the requirements are followed.
- We have a responsibility to follow up the private actors as well and we do that, she says.