The pandemic has placed enormous stress on them health system, but an initiative to improve the condition of nurses and to allow for more training of new staff is due to go to the vote next month.
The initiative was actually launched before Covid. In 2017 the Swiss Nurses Association collected enough signatures to force their concerns over working conditions to the vote.
But change will come no matter the outcome as the Federal Council and Parliament has come up with a counter-proposal which will come into force if the vote fails.
Nurses want more staff, better recognition of their skills and the ability to bill insurance companies directly.
The counter-proposal seems to cover much of that. The government says it will fund training up to a billion francs over the next eight years and agrees nurses can bill insurance companies – but with an oversight body to make sure costs are kept under control.
Voters will make their decision on November 28th.
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