Jan Christian Vestre, the Health and Care Minister, aims to reduce hospital waiting times within the year. The National Health and Collaboration Plan is being discussed in the Parliament to address the increasing waiting times in specialist health services. There are currently 250,000 people waiting in health queues. Vestre has initiated a collaborative effort with various healthcare stakeholders to reduce waiting times, including involving private healthcare providers. The plan also includes stricter control over commercial entities in the healthcare sector to prevent a two-tier healthcare system. Additionally, the plan aims to improve hospital finances by reducing the capital requirement for investments in new buildings. There are concerns about the ongoing restructuring of hospital services, particularly in Helgeland, and the need to strengthen psychiatric care and women’s health services. By the end of the year, the success of the plan in reducing waiting times will be evaluated.
