BL cantonal council Basel district council approves implementation of the care initiative

In the second reading on Thursday, the Basel-Landschaft cantonal council passed the cantonal implementation of the federal care initiative with 79 votes in favor and 1 abstention. This provides a legal basis for strengthening a training offensive in the care sector in the canton.

Hospitals and care organizations such as Spitex are thus obliged to offer training and further education places in the care sector. The introductory law to the federal law stipulates that the canton will make contributions to mitigate the training costs for companies and provide an incentive for additional training places for prospective nursing professionals.

It should also make contributions to higher vocational colleges in order to increase the number of training qualifications. Students are also to be supported in securing their livelihood during their training.

Costs of 2.54 million francs

Implementation is estimated to cost the canton a total of CHF 2.54 million per year until 2032. The law comes into force on July 1, 2024 and will run for eight years. Whether and how the subsidies will be continued can only be decided once the results of the interim evaluation are available, as stated in the government's submission.

An amendment tabled by Indre Steinemann (SVP) was rejected by 68 votes to 12. She called for the training obligation for care organizations to be removed from the introductory law. Health Director Thomi Jourdan (EPP), on the other hand, argued that this regulation would be implemented with a great deal of caution. All parliamentary group speakers, including those from the SVP, also rejected the proposal.

The Swiss electorate approved the care initiative in November 2021. The aim of the bill is to create a cantonal legal basis for implementing the federal requirements for a training offensive in the care sector.