A political agreement has secured 410 million kroner for psychiatry and 50 million kroner for other health initiatives over the next four years.
The funding comes from the so-called ‘satspuljen’, a fund for social initiatives that is distributed every year by all parties except the far-left Enhedslisten.
In a press release, the minister for children, integration and social affairs, Annette Vilhelmsen (SF), said the funding would help health authorities across councils and regions provide better psychiatric care.
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Focus on people’s needs
“I am pleased that we he set aside 410 million kroner to improve the care for people with psychiatric problems,” Vilhelmsen wrote. “It’s important that the focus is on people’s needs, rather than the authorities.”
The health minister, Astrid Krag, added that the deal would improve research into psychiatric care, which will improve the quality of care.
“I am exteremely pleased with the 16 new initiatives that follow up on recommendations made by parliament’s psychiatry committee, and which is an important step in the work to improve the quality of care for people who are affected by psychiatric illness,” Krag said.
Reduced force
Among the initiatives is a 73.6 million kroner trial to end the use of the forcible detention of patients in psychiatric wards.
“This is a ground-breaking initiative because every year we are criticised for our use of force,” MP Özlem Cekic (SF) told Politiken newspaper. “Our experience from this force-free wards will of course be used to help us limit the amount of force we use in other wards,” Cekic added, pointing out that the government wants to halve the amount of psychiatric patients that are restrained using force.
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