People waiting at a health center. LEHTIKUVA
- Previous Article Foreign students in Finland turning to food banks amid job scarcity
- Next Article Students launch soda can satellites in national space challenge
Finland has failed to meet legal requirements on wait times for non-urgent specialist medical care, with more than 18,500 patients still waiting beyond the six-month legal limit, according to figures reported by Uutissuomalainen.
Under Finnish law, patients requiring non-urgent specialised healthcare must begin treatment within six months of being referred.
In March 2024, the National Supervisory Authority for Health and Welfare (Valvira) instructed 14 wellbeing services counties and the HUS consortium in the capital region to bring delays under control by the end of March 2025.
The target has not been met. The backlog continues to exceed legal thresholds in multiple regions.
Finland’s healthcare system is divided into 21 self-governing wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki, which operates independently. The system was introduced in 2023, replacing a model in which 293 municipalities were responsible for organising health and social care.
Despite the reform, service delays have persisted. Many wellbeing counties are running deficits, and workforce reductions are expected across the sector. Municipal and county employers have estimated that around 18,500 workers could face redundancy or layoffs.
The shortfalls in service delivery have become a major political concern. Healthcare is expected to be a key issue in the upcoming elections in April, where both local and European Parliament candidates will compete.
HT
- Previous Article Foreign students in Finland turning to food banks amid job scarcity
- Next Article Students launch soda can satellites in national space challenge
Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
