Helse Nord cuts 576 million

The Nordland / Lofoten news of the last 48 hours: the county of Nordland is facing major health cuts, while the construction of the Alpine Ski World Cup site in Narvik remains unfinished. Several economic and educational initiatives are emerging in the region.

Nordland / Lofoten news: Helse Nord must cut 576 million

Helse Nord must save 576 million kroner. Nordlandssykehuset and UNN (Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge) must together cut their spending by 447 million kroner, according to NTB (NRK Nordland / Lofoten). Staff are the first affected. Nordlandssykehuset has notably proposed reducing the number of ambulances in several places in the county.

Meanwhile, Helse Nord has published a job ad to recruit an adviser in charge of international work. « Vil du arbeide i skjæringspunktet mellom internasjonalt samarbeid, helseberedskap og nordområdepolitikk ? » reads the ad. Kristian August Eilertsen (Frp), MP and member of the Storting health committee, reacts: he considers it paradoxical to hire a new bureaucrat for health preparedness while the cuts affect what actually delivers it (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

At Nordlandssykehuset, a new division of tasks has brought down sick-leave absenteeism since 2025. Porters Eivind Stavem Aagnes and Anastasiia Kravtsova now prepare operating rooms, a task previously assigned to nurses. « We take all the little time-thieves », says Aagnes (NRK Nordland / Lofoten). The scheme is part of the national Tørn programme.

Sport: the Narvik site remains unfinished

The new Alpine Ski World Cup site in Narvik is not finished. Peter Gerdol, director of alpine competitions at the International Ski Federation (FIS), visited the site for the first time on Thursday. « They have to work on everything: slope, snow production, lift, safety installations — absolutely everything. Nothing is finished, everything is in progress », he says (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

The women's Alpine World Cup is scheduled to be held in Narvik next March, but the event still appears as « to be confirmed » on the calendar. « We cannot confirm anything without a slope. You cannot play a football match without a pitch », the race director adds, without specifying the conclusion of his inspection.

At Narvikfjellet, skier Vebjørn Lunde (20) trains six days a week and is targeting the home World Championships in 2029. In football, Bodø/Glimt won at home at Aspmyra against Kristiansund. Ola Brynhildsen opened the scoring in first-half stoppage time; Leander Næss Alvheim equalised for Kristiansund before Glimt regained the lead (NRK Nordland / Lofoten).

Economy and initiatives in the county

In Lofoten, three new businesses are setting up: a photo studio, a fishing activity and a plumbing company (Lofotposten, 12 October). One operator is investing more than 25 million kroner in a new barn: « These will be hard years to come », he says (Lofotposten).

The police report that tourist traffic is taking up more and more resources in the archipelago. On some days, tourists receive up to 90% of speeding fines in Lofoten, according to deputy district chief of traffic police Yngve Widding (NRK Nordland / Lofoten). Cases take longer to process and require an interpreter, he notes.

At Vitensenter Nordland in Mo i Rana, around twenty young people from the county took part in a coding workshop. Equipped with micro:bit, they measured the speed and force of their disc-golf throws. « We programmed the little robot to measure acceleration when we throw », explains Alva Karoline Sandøy Bredrup, from Nesna (NRK Nordland / Lofoten). The school speaks of strong learning potential for these pupils.

📌 Local briefs

A woman was sent to prison after a major speeding offence in Nordland (Avisa Nordland, 12 October). Christina describes feeling almost an entire caesarean section: « It feels a bit like dying » (Avisa Nordland, 12 October). A warning has been issued against two car-seat models after serious crash-test results (Avisa Nordland, 11 October). In Lofoten, Sofie tells how she came out of the darkness thanks to her father's advice (Lofotposten, 11 October).

Sources: NRK Nordland / Lofoten, Avisa Nordland, Lofotposten — Period: 11 October 2026 and 12 October 2026