Further development of services
Health and social services to be developed as part of the Future Health and Social Services Centres programme
The health and social services reform will strengthen basic services, and the focus will be shifted to preventive work. The aim will be to ensure that the services meet people’s needs and that problems can be addressed in time.
In Finland, everyone has the right to sufficient health and social services
Public healthcare and social welfare services supported by government funds form the foundation for Finland’s healthcare and social welfare system. In addition to the public-sector services, health and social services are provided by the private and third sectors.
Social welfare services promote the functional capacity, social wellbeing, security and inclusion of individuals, families and communities. The aim of healthcare services is to promote and maintain the health, wellbeing, work ability, functional capacity and social security of the population and to reduce inequalities in health.
In Finland, health services are divided into primary healthcare and specialised healthcare. Primary healthcare refers to the monitoring of the population’s state of health, the promotion of health, and various services. Primary healthcare services are provided by health centres.
Specialised healthcare refers to examinations and treatments in specialised fields. The majority of specialised healthcare services are organised in hospitals.
The health and social services reform is aimed at ensuring quality services and a fairer and more equitable system
Health and social services will be developed during the health and social services reform as part of the Future Health and Social Services Centres programme.
The purpose of the programme is to establish health and social services centres with wide-ranging services in Finland, which will ensure that services are provided seamlessly to people and that people are given help for their individual needs. It is also aimed at improving people’s trust in public health and social services.
Additionally, the programme will improve the client-oriented approach to health and social services by introducing digital and mobile services and by expanding weekend and evening service times as well as opening new low-threshold service points.
The focus of services will be shifted from specialised healthcare to primary healthcare and preventive work. The role of social welfare will be emphasised more than previously.
The distribution of work between health and social services professionals will be developed so that clients will be served by multi-professional teams. Personnel in health and social services centres will receive support from consultations with specialists and from new operating models that utilise digitalisation.
Client-oriented services and employee development and wellbeing will be supported with evidence-based methods. Research and development activities will be made part of the core work.
The measures in the programme have been compiled under five objectives, the implementation of which will be monitored every six months.
Five key objectives of the Future Health and Social Services Centres programme:
- Improve equal access to services and the timing and continuity of services
- Shift the focus of activities from heavy services to preventive and proactive work
- Raise service quality and effectiveness
- Ensure the multidisciplinary and interoperable nature of services
- Curb the growth of expenditure.
Measures related to digitalisation play a part in the implementation of all the objectives.
The aim is to develop services throughout Finland, which means that the counties will receive discretionary government transfers for implementing the Future Health and Social Services Centres programme.
Organisation of the programme
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare is an expert and research institute tasked with the research and development of health and social services as well as the sector’s other expert duties.
Additionally, the Institute supports and coordinates the implementation of regional projects within the scope of the health and social services reform. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will finance and outline the programme work.
The steering group for reorganising health and social services will direct the development of services. A coordination group will operate under the steering group for reorganising health and social services. Its members are officials from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for programme management and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare is responsible for the programme's operative implementation.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare’s regional coordinators will support and coordinate the programme’s implementation in five major areas.
Inquiries:
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health:
Taina Mäntyranta, tel. + 358 295 163 692, [email protected]
Vuokko Lehtimäki, tel. +358 295 163 256, [email protected]
Kirsi Paasovaara, tel. +358 295 163 012, [email protected]
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare:
Anu Niemi, tel. +358 295 247 296, [email protected]
Anu Muuri, tel. +358 295 247 372, [email protected]