Good, accessible healthcare
Healthcare is one of the central activities in Västra Götaland. The aim is to provide a high level of accessibility and quality. Healthcare is also an activity that promotes growth by raising employment levels and through research and development, which benefits local businesses. There are around 20 hospitals in the region, including a University Hospital that trains graduates and conducts research. Research and development is also carried out at several other large hospitals in the region.
Responsibility for healthcare rests with Västra Götaland Region, which is one of Sweden’s largest employers, employing around 44,500 people in the healthcare sector. One third of the region’s healthcare activity is primary care, which is performed at around 160 healthcare centres. The remaining two thirds consists of planned and emergency care. The largest healthcare units are Sahlgrenska University Hospital (SU), Södra Älvsborg hospital, Skaraborg Hospital and NU Hospital.
Sahlgrenska University Hospital in Göteborg plays a central role as a regional hospital. Healthcare at the county level is conducted here, along with highly specialist care and research, development and education. Sahlgrenska is the largest hospital in northern Europe and has a high reputation internationally in the fields of heart, coronary and respiratory care and paediatric healthcare. It also runs successful activities in endocrinology (the study of hormonal disorder conditions), transplants and orthopaedics. Sahlgrenska University Hospital is the leader in Sweden in research into immune biology and vaccines.
The centre for healthcare education, research and development is the Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, which has three main units. The medical faculty is the largest of these units, and has twelve institutions and the Wallenberg laboratory. The Faculty of Odontology comprises a single institution and provides basic education for dentists, dental hygienists and dental technicians along with research, patient care and specialist training. The Faculty of Health Caring Sciences comprises three institutions and provides comprehensive basic training and a fast-growing research activity and training of researchers.
Training, research and development are also carried out at Skaraborg Hospital, Södra Älvsborg Hospital and NU Hospital. These activities are co-ordinated with Sahlgrenska Academy and with the university colleges in Borås, Trollhättan/Uddevalla and Skövde.