Abstract

Prioritization among patients is an inherent and unavoidable aspect of all healthcare systems, involving the allocation of limited resources such as time, funding, personnel, and facilities. While this issue is universal, not all jurisdictions have established legal frameworks guiding how such prioritizations should be conducted. In Sweden, the Parliament enacted a statutory ethical platform in 1997 intended to inform healthcare prioritization decisions, based on three guiding principles: the principle of human dignity, the principle of need and solidarity, and the principle of cost-effectiveness.

This article examines the legal and ethical dimensions of prioritization in Swedish healthcare, with particular attention to how decisions are made, by whom, and on what grounds. Despite the formal existence of the ethical platform, the actual processes and models used for prioritization remain opaque, and the interpretation and application of the principles vary significantly across healthcare levels.

We argue that consistent and transparent prioritization practices are essential for maintaining the legitimacy and trustworthiness of the healthcare system. Accordingly, this study aims to clarify the content of the ethical platform and to identify the practical challenges involved in its implementation. Drawing on both legal analysis and medical ethics, the article investigates the operational context of prioritization in contemporary Swedish healthcare and seeks to contribute to the development of more coherent, transparent, and legally robust prioritization frameworks.

Abstract

Sickness absence due to psychiatric diagnoses, particularly stress-related mental health conditions, has become the most common cause of sick leave in Sweden since 2014. These diagnoses are linked to the longest durations of absence and the highest risk of not returning to work, with women being overrepresented. Psychiatric disorders now account for a third of new and half of all ongoing sick leave cases. To receive sickness benefits, a person’s work capacity must be reduced by at least 25% due to illness. However, assessing the extent of this reduction, particularly for psychiatric conditions, is challenging due to their multifactorial nature, including biological, psychological, and social factors. These complexities often lead to inconsistent evaluations of work capacity. This article analyses the legal framework for assessing work capacity in cases of psychiatric illness, combining traditional legal sources with research and guidelines from relevant authorities to explore the specific challenges involved in these assessments.

Abstract

Young carers are a concept and a distinct group of children that has not been much researched from a legal perspective, especially not in a Swedish context. In this article, the research focus is on how the Swedish social law regulation can be applied to this group. First, the group itself is discussed and defined, then this definition is tested against a couple of regulations within the field of social law in Sweden. One conclusion is that this group is not specifically recognized in Swedish social law. This implies that the group can be “hidden” in the sense that potential support and help won’t be targeted at this group of children. Another conclusion is that much of the support and help is dedicated to the relative of the young carer, the person that the young carer takes care of. A young carer can therefore have to rely on the outcome of the relative’s applications within the social systems to see a change in their situation, rather than have the right to support regarding their own needs.

Abstract

Denna kommentar granskar rättsskyddet för patienter som utsätts för tvångsmedicinering inom psykiatrisk vård i Finland, med fokus på tillgången till och effektiviteten i efterhandsrättsmedel. Den lyfter fram att den finska lagstiftningen saknar materiella kriterier för tvångsmedicinering, vilket väcker oro både för det föregripande och det efterhandsbaserade rättsskyddet. Med utgångspunkt i Högsta domstolens avgörande KKO 2023:93 ifrågasätter analysen om den nya rättigheten att överklaga tvångsmedicinering – som trädde i kraft 2024 – ger ett verkningsfullt skydd i praktiken. Kommentaren jämför även den finska och svenska modellen och visar att båda systemen står inför olika men allvarliga utmaningar när det gäller att säkerställa patienters grundläggande rättigheter i psykiatrisk tvångsvård.