SD, MP, C and V are critical of what SVT's review of elderly care shows.

Namely, that the proportion of hours worked by hourly employees has increased in several municipalities, despite the Corona Commission's calling for the opposite and has pointed out hourly employment as a contributing factor to Sweden's high death toll during the pandemic.

"The piggy bank can not be elderly care"

The parties' spokespersons all believe that it is important to invest in elderly care and work to ensure that more care assistants and assistant nurses get full-time jobs and permanent employment.

Many also believe that the municipalities must give higher priority to the issue. 

- The piggy bank can not always be elderly care, says Sofia Nilsson, the Center Party's spokesperson on issues of care and mental health. 

SD's social policy spokesperson Linda Lindberg agrees. 

- It is allowed to cost if we are to have a safe and good care of our elderly, she says. 

Great political focus

Minister of Social Affairs Lena Hallengren (S) says that care for the elderly has received increased resources.

She also talks about the so-called elderly care promotion, which aims to increase competence in municipally funded care and nursing, and believes that great political focus has long been on the importance of good conditions in the form of, among other things, permanent services in the industry.

The Minister of Social Affairs is disappointed.  

- It is clear that I had expected more, she says. 

SKR strikes back - requires resources 

The municipalities 'ambition is for the proportion of hourly employees to decrease and it is difficult to answer why some succeed better than others, says Jeanette Hedberg, chief negotiator at the employers' organization Sweden's municipalities and regions (SKR).

- My picture is that they take this issue very seriously and work intensively to introduce full-time in the municipalities and reduce the proportion of hourly employees.

It is high on the agenda and an important issue. 

She says that there is a clear strategy from both SKR and the municipalities themselves regarding how the proportion of hourly employees should be reduced, but believes that more resources are needed than those added so far.  

- It is difficult to recruit staff for temporary money.

Long-term investments are needed.