Sweden v Ireland healthcare

Omari Enough Photocopier wrote: »

Surely some impacts would be felt e.g. simply Commuting to Denmark (new checkpoints introduced).

The stats and surveys for crime show some very significant rises
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Sweden
One chart shows broad 200% rise over 20yrs. Currently crime stands higher than the EU27 average. Reports of sex crimes up 300% in just 3yrs, (BRÅ NTU survey) Perhaps why female-only music festivals haven since been introduced. Gun homicides up circa 250% in 4yrs. Various offences against the individual are all up in recent years https://www.bra.se/bra-in-english/home/crime-and-statistics/swedish-crime-survey.html (nearly double, in all areas, again since 2014-15).

Over 100 big-bangs this year so far: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-50339977 Forcing Denmark to reinstates border checks at crossings https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/nov/12/denmark-border-checks-crossings-sweden

Recently Swedish police have announced a 'special national incident' to look into the sudden phonemanal rise of violent crime. Stockholm has also fallen out of the top20 cities index (for the 1st time in ages) (Mercer QoL), for both of the last 2yrs.

Sure, it's low compared to Samolia or somewhere, but the fast rate of increase would be a major consideration in any move, for anyone. Great health service or not.

WIKI is not a credible source.
Secondly my first hand experience of having lived there and what my Swedish friends still living there tell me now is that most of the highly publicised increase in crime like gun murders and public order offences has occurred in several specific areas in the suburbs of the major cities of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo. Not once in my eight years there did I ever have reason to go to any of those neighbourhoods as I wanted to live where the majority of native Swedes lived. That's why I moved there- to experience Swedish culture and have Swedish friends.

Of course I'm sure you can find trouble if you go to places like Biskopsgården or Rinkeby, especially if you go there with film crews with the intention of provoking the locals gangs into a reaction as some foreign media have done to get their preconceptions validated and good tabloid copy for their viewers. But that tells precisely nothing about how everyday life is for the vast majority of law abiding Swedes or immigrants.

It would be like moving to say the North inner city in Dublin and concluding that Dublin as a whole therefore must be a high crime, drug infested city to stay clear of.

Sexual crime figures are collated differently in Sweden, where every offence is logged as a crime when first reported, and that remains on the stats even if later it has been found that no crime can be proven to have occurred.
Also the number of incidents is collated differently so for example if someone is raped three times in the one time frame that is logged as three cases of rape, not one. Or if a woman is raped every night for six months by her husband that would be logged as perhaps 180 cases of rape, not one.
How many times does this have to be explained before people understand this??
:rolleyes:

Furthermore sexual crimes are reported to the police there at a higher rate than most other countries. Why? because the Swedish police and judiciary enjoy widespread confidence and support, and people there know any such crime will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. And corruption is to all intents and purposes non-existent in the Swedish police force.


The stats for bra.se- assault for the last three years show a slightly increasing trend. Slight. The victims were most commonly 16-19 years old. I fall far outside that age bracket.

Threats-again the main victims are in that young age group.

Sexual offences had decreased by 6% between 2017 and 2018.

Robbery remains unchanged. Harassment has unfortunately increased, and again primarily the victims are young women.

Property theft and burglary remains extremely low by international standards and far lower than Ireland. Bicycle theft was the biggest fear I ever had in Sweden.

So yes while sadly there has been an increase in some crimes, you have to break it down to age group and where these crimes occur to get a truer picture.

If I move back it will be to the countryside and outskirts of a sleepy small town somewhere in the South, not to any city anyway; where there are no gangs, no fire bombings and few if any murders or sexual crimes. I'll take my chances with the savage local population of moose and rabbits. :pac:

Now I really don't want get dragged off topic about this again, thanks.

Steyr 556 wrote: »

lovely and all but **** the Systembolaget.

The Systembolaget is fine so long as you don't stupidly leave it until the last minute to buy alcohol, especially the day before Midsummer or New Years. Prices I found reasonable and much lower than in pubs. You can get a reasonable bottle of wine cheaper than here and the staff are knowledgeable.

Still waters wrote: »

100 bombs a year :eek: if that was northern Ireland there would be an international peace commission headed by the yanks

It's a worrying development no doubt, but I think we need to keep it in proportion and take not of this part:
"The attacks are usually carried out by criminal gangs to scare rival groups or their close friends or family, she says.
"This is a serious situation, but most people shouldn't be worried, because they are not going to be affected."

If middle class areas are are now being affected you can be sure the authorities will step up efforts to deal with this.

BorneTobyWilde wrote: »

You said move back to Sweden, not move to Sweden, huge difference. If it's your home then it makes sense to move back.

I'm Irish. I lived in Sweden many years, that's why I say move back, not because I'm Swedish.

pinkyeye wrote: »

Hi OP,

This one is interesting to me because I've a cousin who lives in Sweden because he's married to a Swedish lady and he's totally miserable but I think that maybe because he still hasn't mastered the language so he's quite lonely. I think Irish people in general are bad at languages (I certainly am) and that's what puts me off moving abroad

However, you've lived there before and have Swedish friends so I presume you have some of the language at least.

Well move to any non-English speaking country and you'll find yourself isolated and lonely if you don't make an effort to learn the language. And really it couldn't be an easier country in that regard because Swedish is not that difficult to learn, there are language courses freely available in all cities -Svenskförinvandrare, and Swedes speak English to such a high proficiency I have Swedish friends who speak better English than some Irish people I've met. It's more like an alternative language for them than a second language and they pepper Swedish with lots of English words and phrases.

Tell your cousin to do what Swedes do-join a club. Get out and meet people.

pinkyeye wrote: »

...actually has private health insurance which they pay 4k a year for and that's a huge struggle but it doesn't help when an ambulance is called because an ambulance will not go to a private hospital so you end up in the public system whether you like it or not.

This is the problem. Some people seem to think all they have to do is get private insurance and that'll solve all the problems they might run into in the public system when that's not the case.
It's only when the likes of FG Kate O' Connell who would have private insurance of course experiences what it's like herself when she is directly affected that she seems to give a damn about the chaos in A&E hospitals. It's like it was a shock to her that conditions in Crumlin are so bad!
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/td-oconnell-compares-crumlin-ed-to-south-american-facility-967037.html

pinkyeye wrote: »

Recently she ended up in A&E for 3 days, moved from a cubicle to corridor. After suffering this and being terrified by men handcuffed to trolleys and pulling them down the corridor and other people screaming and shouting and security being called etc. she eventually overheard the doctors and nurses discussing her diagnosis and found out in the corridor that she was terminal and there was nothing to be done except pain management.

Oh my god :eek: your poor Mum. So sorry to hear that pinkeye, that's horrific! and that's what she pays 4k a year for!

pinkyeye wrote: »

... also seen it with my Aunt who had a terminal diagnosis and yet whenever she got really bad she still had to go through A&E, it's very simple there should be a place where cancer patients go in an ambulance where they're treated with dignity but no, Irish can't think laterally.

Awful. I agree, cancer patients of all people should be treated with dignity and respect. Can't help thinking human life seems to be cheap in this country when I hear things like this. I can guarantee you there would be public outcry if patients were treated like that in other countries in Europe. Here we just seem to accept it and keep voting the same people into power! madness.

pinkyeye wrote: »

the Swedish health system is as good as you say and you like it there and speak the language then I'd go.

I'm seriously thinking about it. I could do with brushing up on my Swedish after being away a while but I can get by and would pick it up again.
Will have a chat with the other half and see what we come up with. Thankfully he likes Sweden too having been on holidays a few times and would move there with me.

Thanks for your considered reply.

Omari Enough Photocopier wrote: »

It's still low compared to Timbuktu, but it (crime) is now above the EU-27 average. But to dismiss the sudden and pronounced rise in crime, is akin to calling all the stats, charts, new Danish checkpoints and near states of emergency is a bit like calling all these developments as 'fake news'.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_Sweden#/

The number of people who have been subjected to sexual attack has tripled according to BRÅ . If this isn't affecting everyday life, why then is there now female-only music festivals.
https://www.bra.se/bra-in-english/home/crime-and-statistics/swedish-crime-survey.html

I've already read and responded to all of that. Sweden is not "in a state of near emergency". Get a grip. I've been there early this year -Gothenburg visiting friends and it was as normal and peaceful as ever. My friends there are not leaving the city and carry on their lives as normal. I told you why already. They don't live in high crime (by Swedish standards) areas.

Omari Enough Photocopier wrote: »

If you're going for better healthcare, super. If you're going for other reasons and want to consider all other factors since 2014-15, then do so also in proportion.

I already said in my OP that I'm considering going for better healthcare. Obviously there are other many positive aspects to the country or I wouldn't be considering Sweden. Perhaps you should read some: https://sweden.se

Considering I holiday there to visit friends at least once a year, I read Swedish language newspapers and I have eight years of experience of the country I think you can rely on the fact that I'm going to "consider all other factors since 2014-15". Thanks all the same.

Do you have anything to add of your own experience of the country, or are you going to keep posting the same info you've found online about crime rates there context free?