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20926
Small increase in municipal health service resources
statistikk
2000-10-04T10:00:00.000Z
Health;Public sector
en
helsetjko, Municipal health care service, municipal health care service, operating costs, health centres, school health service, health checks, health personnel (for example physiotherapists, health visitors, midwives), nursing home residentsKOSTRA , Health services , Public sector, Health
false

Municipal health care service, 1999

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Small increase in municipal health service resources

There has been a moderate growth in man-years and coverage rates for physicians, physiotherapists, midwives and public health nurses from 1998 to 1999. Measured in man-years, physicians and physiotherapists saw the biggest increases.

In 1999, doctors worked 3 527 man-years in the municipal health service, excluding care of the elderly. This was an increase of 61 man-years or 1.8 per cent compared with the previous year. Similarly, the number of man-years worked by physiotherapists increased by 59 in the same period, an increase of 1.7 per cent. Including the resources involved in caring for the elderly, the figures show that the man-years of physicians and physiotherapists increased by 63 and 95 respectively from 1998 to 1999.

More physiotherapists in rural areas

In contrast to physician coverage, the largest and most centrally located municipalities have had the best degree of coverage for physiotherapists. Compared with the situation at the end of the 1980s, the disparity in the coverage rates of groups of municipalities of differing centrality has gradually declined. In 1999 the coverage rate in the least central municipalities reached for the first time more than seven man-years per 10 000 inhabitants.

Small remote municipalities need more man-years per inhabitant in order to provide services equal to those found in large centrally located municipalities. The numbers show that residents of rural municipalities currently do not have the same physiotherapy services available to residents of large centrally located municipalities.

In 1999, 419 of all physiotherapy man-years in the municipal health service were assigned to institutions for the elderly and disabled. The proportion increased from 1998 to 1999.

More private physicians

The major change in general medical practice in the municipalities throughout most of the 1990s was the shift of physicians from fixed-salary municipal posts to private practice. The number of man-years worked by doctors on a fixed salary increased until 1990 and then began to stagnate. After 1992 the man-years of fixed-salary paid doctors in the municipal health service, excluding care of the elderly, began to decline. The subsequent decrease was 507 man-years. In 1999, fixed-salary doctors accounted for about 18 per cent of all man-years of physicians in the municipal health service, excluding care of the elderly.

In 1999 a total 3 527 man-years were worked by doctors in the municipal health service excluding care of the elderly. This is an increase of 61 man-years compared with 1998. The simultaneous decline of fixed-salary doctors has been more than compensated by more doctors in private practice. Measured in proportion to the population, the least central municipalities have the best physician coverage rates.

In 1999 doctors worked 225 man-years in institutions for the elderly and disabled. This accounts for around six per cent of the total labour input of doctors in the municipal health service. The proportion has remained stable in recent years.

More midwives and public health nurses

In 1998 to 1999 the number of man-years of midwives in the municipal health service increased from 258 to 269. Similarly, the number of man-years worked by public health nurses increased from 1 611 to 1 650. Measured in the number of man-years per inhabitant, the least central municipalities have the best access to services from these occupational groups. This is particularly true of midwives, in which the least central municipalities have around four times as many man-years per 10 000 births as the most central municipalities.

In the last 10 years the number of man-years worked by midwives has increased by 165. The biggest jump occurred after check-ups of pregnant women became compulsory in 1994. Man-years of nurses in the municipal health service increased by 508 from 1989 to 1999.

Effect of KOSTRA

The collection of statistics is undergoing change. An increasing number of municipalities are supplying municipal health service data via KOSTRA, a computerized system for reporting municipal statistics. In 2000, 108 municipalities used the new system.

Combined with changes in the collection process, new electronic forms with somewhat changed questions could have effects on the statistical results.

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