Sykehuset Innlandet faces intense political scrutiny after creating a new specialist advisor and senior physician position carrying an annual salary of 2.13 million Norwegian kroner for Roar Rønning, the former orthopedic department head at Lillehammer and Gjøvik hospitals. Rønning stepped down on the spot earlier this autumn following significant conflicts at the Surgical Department. Documents reviewed by Gudbrandsdølen Dagningen reveal that the high-paying advisory role—which includes no leadership responsibilities and allows for two days of remote work per week—was arranged prior to the public announcement of his departure.
High Salary Outpaces 250 Hospital Directors
Reporting by Dagens Medisin established that Rønning’s compensation as a special advisor exceeds the salaries of 250 hospital directors in Norway. Lars Rem, a member of Parliament for Oppland representing the Progress Party (Fremskrittspartiet), brought the case forward to Parliament through a written question addressed to Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre (Labour Party). Rem voiced strong objections to the spending and the disparity in treatment among personnel at Sykehuset Innlandet.
Rem stated that staff members at Sykehuset Innlandet continuously face demands for cost-cutting and efficiency measures while managing heavy workloads and staffing anxieties. According to the parliamentarian, nurses and doctors work exhaustively day and night, making the creation of such positions using taxpayers’ money a damaging signal. Rem formally asked Health Minister Vestre to initiate a comprehensive review of leadership positions and executive salaries at Sykehuset Innlandet.
Did You Know? Roar Rønning stepped down immediately from his role as orthopedic department head at Lillehammer and Gjøvik following conflicts at the Surgical Department, securing a new advisory position with 2.13 million kroner in pay before his departure was publicly announced.
In his official written response, Jan Christian Vestre emphasized that state guidelines dictate hospital enterprise executive salaries must remain competitive without leading the market, and that moderation must be practiced. However, Vestre made it clear that he will not override Sykehuset Innlandet’s internal priorities in this specific case. Vestre stated that the board and management of the health enterprise hold the responsibility for assessing competence needs and organizing operations, while Helse Sør-Øst RHF maintains the ownership follow-up responsibility for Sykehuset Innlandet HF.
Rem dismissed the minister’s response as evasive rhetoric that essentially amounts to a refusal to examine executive pay structures at the hospital network. Rem noted that while the Progress Party, along with the Labour Party and the Conservative Party, voted in 2001 to establish the health enterprise reform—which aimed to give politicians less direct control and boards more operational authority—he and his party now believe the reform functions inadequately. Rem argued that costs have reached astronomical sums without benefiting patients and that decisions are made too far away from those receiving care.
Details of Roar Rønning's new role and parliamentary inquiry
What specific compensation and benefits were assigned to Roar Rønning’s new role?
Roar Rønning received a position as a special advisor and senior physician with an annual salary of 2.13 million Norwegian kroner, carrying no leadership responsibilities and including two days of remote work per week.
Who raised the issue in Parliament and which minister did they address?
Lars Rem, a Progress Party member of Parliament representing Oppland, raised the issue by submitting a written question to Minister of Health and Care Services Jan Christian Vestre.
What reasoning did the Health Minister provide for not intervening in the salary decision?
Jan Christian Vestre stated that the board and management of the health enterprise bear the responsibility for evaluating organizational competence and managing operations, while noting that state guidelines require executive pay to be competitive yet moderate.