Stockholm hospitals to cut hundreds of jobs amid growing budget deficit

Danderyd Hospital warned in a statement that it would be laying off around 100 staff as part of a drive to plug an estimated budget deficit of 156 million kronor ($16.22 million) this year.

The hospital plans to eventually cut around 250 jobs in total.

“We have worked together within the hospital to find savings. It's substantial work and we are not yet finished,” said hospital CEO Yvonne Haglund Åkerlind in a statement.

Earlier on Monday, Södersjukhuset announced plans to cut 100 jobs at the hospital in Stockholm, including 50 nursing assistants, 25 doctors and 25 administrative jobs.

The hospital warned that a 130 million kronor budget deficit in 2019 could grow to 300 million next year without the job cuts, which come amid a series of other measures.

Both hospitals have already put in place decisions not to hire new staff or temporary staff via agencies, and to implement stricter control of purchases to ensure that administrative costs are kept at a minimum.

The news comes just weeks after Sweden's Karolinska Hospital announced plans to lay off 600 medical staff, which in turn followed a decision to slash 550 administrative jobs in May.

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