Liberal policies for Region Norrbotten

We want Norrbotten to be a good place to live.

The most important thing for us is that healthcare works when you need it.

You should be able to contact healthcare services.
You should get help in time.
You should know who is responsible for your care.

Region Norrbotten is also responsible for other important services.

For example, buses and trains, culture, regional development and helping Norrbotten grow.

Here you can read about our policies in easy English.

Healthcare should work

You should be able to trust healthcare services.

When you call your local health centre, you should be able to get through.

You should not be told that the phone queue is already full.

If you need care, you should get help as quickly as possible.

We want to:

make it easier to contact your health centre,
reduce waiting times,
give more people the chance to see the same doctor,
strengthen local health centres,
make sure there are enough healthcare workers,
and use healthcare money better.

Healthcare should work in everyday life.

Seeing the same doctor gives security

It is good to see the same doctor over time.

The doctor gets to know you and your health.

You do not have to explain the same things every time.

This is especially important for older people and people who often need healthcare.

We want more people to have a regular doctor.

This means you know which doctor is responsible for your care.

You should not have to coordinate your own healthcare

A person may need help from several parts of the healthcare system.

For example, from a health centre, a hospital and the municipality.

These services must work together.

You should not have to call different healthcare services and explain what other parts of the healthcare system have done.

We want it to be clear:

who is responsible,
what will happen,
when it will happen,
and who you should contact.

You should be a patient. You should not have to manage the healthcare system yourself.

Children and young people should get help early

Children and young people who are struggling should not have to wait a long time for help.

It is better to help early than to wait until problems become serious.

We want to improve support for the mental health of children and young people.

Children, parents, schools, health centres and child and adolescent psychiatry also need to work better together.

Good healthcare for older people

More people are living longer.

That is a good thing.

But as people get older, many need more healthcare.

We want older people to have safe and coordinated care.

Older people with several illnesses should get better support with their medicines.

Healthcare should also improve care for people with dementia and care at the end of life.

The ambulance should come when it is needed

Norrbotten is a large region.

In many places, the hospital is far away.

This makes ambulance services very important.

We want safe and reliable ambulance services throughout Norrbotten.

New technology can also help healthcare workers assess patients from a distance.

But technology can never replace an ambulance when an ambulance is needed.

Dental care throughout Norrbotten

People should be able to get dental care outside the largest towns and cities.

We want to strengthen public dental care and make it easier to recruit and keep staff.

Children and young people should receive good dental care.

Older people and people with greater healthcare needs should also get the support they need.

Healthcare workers are essential

There is no healthcare without healthcare workers.

Region Norrbotten must be a good employer.

We want staff to have better opportunities to develop their skills and careers.

Managers should have enough time to lead their staff.

Healthcare workers should also have more influence over how their work is organised.

People who work close to patients often know what needs to improve.

Digital technology should make healthcare easier

Computers and digital systems should help healthcare workers.

They should not create more work.

New technology and artificial intelligence, AI, can improve healthcare.

But the technology must be safe.

Patient information must be protected.

People who find digital technology difficult must still be able to get help.

Healthcare should be accessible to everyone

Having a disability should not make it harder to get healthcare.

This includes people who have difficulty seeing or hearing.

Information should be easy to understand.

Buildings and digital services should be accessible.

People who need assistive devices should also receive them within a reasonable time.

Everyone should be treated with respect

All people have equal value.

It does not matter who you are, where you come from or who you love.

LGBTQI people should feel safe when they seek healthcare.

Healthcare workers should have the knowledge needed to provide good and respectful care.

We want to prevent illness

The region should not only help people who are already ill.

We also need to help people stay healthy.

This can include physical activity, food, mental health and preventing problems caused by alcohol and tobacco.

Children and young people are especially important.

It is better to prevent illness than to treat it later.

Buses and trains should work

Norrbotten is a large region.

People need to be able to travel to work, school, healthcare and leisure activities.

We want better public transport throughout Norrbotten.

Buses and trains should fit people’s everyday needs better.

We also want new public transport solutions for rural areas.

Roads and railways are important

Good roads and railways are important for all of Norrbotten.

People need them to travel.

Businesses and industries need them too.

We want to continue developing roads and railways and improve connections with the rest of Sweden, Finland and Norway.

Norrbotten needs more energy

New businesses and industries need a lot of electricity.

We want Sweden to produce more fossil-free electricity.

We support nuclear power.

We also want to develop other fossil-free sources of energy.

Norrbotten should be able to grow without a lack of electricity becoming a problem.

More businesses and more jobs

Norrbotten needs more people and more businesses.

It should be easier to start and run a business.

The region should work together with municipalities, universities and businesses.

We also want more people to train for jobs where workers are needed.

Norrbotten should be a place where people can work, start businesses and build their future.

Research and new ideas

Norrbotten has universities, businesses and people with many good ideas.

We want research and new ideas to be used to improve healthcare and develop the whole region.

The region should work more closely with universities and businesses.

Good ideas should have the chance to grow.

Culture throughout Norrbotten

Culture is important for an open and free society.

People should be able to enjoy culture wherever they live in Norrbotten.

Children and young people are especially important.

We also want to support libraries, associations and independent cultural activities.

Norrbotten should be prepared for crises

The war in Ukraine shows that society must be prepared for crises.

Healthcare must continue to work during war, major accidents, power cuts and other emergencies.

There must be medicines, equipment and backup power.

Digital systems must also be protected from attacks.

Politics should use public money wisely

Public money should be used for things people need.

We think the current public funding for political parties in Region Norrbotten is too high.

We want to introduce a limit on how much public funding a political party can receive.

We also want to review politicians’ pay and other political costs.

Politicians should receive reasonable pay.

But politicians must also be willing to review their own costs.

When the region needs to save money, politicians should also look at their own costs.

The region should be managed better

Politicians should decide what goals the region should achieve.

But staff should have more freedom to decide how the work is done.

We want less detailed political control.

We also want results to be open so that people can see how healthcare is working.

Good ideas from staff should be taken seriously.

Politicians should set the goals. Staff should be trusted to use their knowledge.

A freer and stronger Norrbotten

The Liberals want people to be able to live good lives throughout Norrbotten.

You should feel safe knowing that healthcare is there when you need it.

You should be able to study, work, start a business and travel.

And you should have as much freedom as possible to make decisions about your own life.

That is our goal: a freer, safer and stronger Norrbotten.