The aim of health care in Finland is to maintain and improve
people's health, wellbeing, work and functional capacity and social
security, as well as to reduce health inequalities.
The system is based on preventive health care and well-run,
comprehensive health services.
The MSAH is responsible for social and health policy and preparing
associated legislation.
The MSAH strategy for social and health policy and the government
programme stress
- the ability of equal social and health services to be provided for everyone
- strengthening of basic services, prevention work and the status of patients and clients
- improving the quality, availability and effectiveness of services
- that social and health service productivity can be improved by the reform of services and service provision
- that services must be overhauled so that integrated and sustainable social frameworks are created for social and health care, and that the functionality of the service chain improves
- that the responsibility for arranging and funding social and health services remains with municipalities
Health promotion
Health promotion and disease prevention are the primary aims of
Finnish health policy.
Health promotion
Municipal healthcare
Everyone is entitled to adequate social and health services.
Municipalities are responsible for arranging and funding health
care.
Responsible agencies
Health services are divided into primary health care and
specialized medical care. Primary health care refers to the
municipally arranged monitoring of the health of the population;
heal the promotion and various services. Primary health care
services are provided at municipal health centres.
Specialised medical care refers to specialist health examinations
and treatment. Most specialised medical care is performed in
hospitals.
The status and rights of patients and timeframes for access to
care are set out in legislation.
Client and patient rights
Occupational health care
Employers are responsible for preventive health care and, where
possible, nursing care.
Occupational safety and health
Private health care
Private health care services supplement municipal services.
Municipalities or joint municipal authorities may also procure
services from private service providers.
Private service providers
Development
The reform of the social and health care service structure is aimed to ensure the quality, effectiveness and timeous availability of services and to support the stability and sustainability of municipal economies.
The National Development Programme for Social Welfare and Health Care (Kaste) aims to reduce health and welfare inequalities and ensure that social and health care structures and services are arranged so as to be client-centred and financially sustainable.
Other authorities
The National Institute for Welfare and Health (THL) is a
specialist and research institution tasked with research and
development on health services and other specialist tasks in the
field.
National Institute for Welfare and Health
(THL)
The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health
(Valvira) guides, supervises and runs the licensing administration
of social and health care.
Regional State Administrative Agencies are responsible for supervising health care on a regional level. These, together with Valvira, also supervise health care professionals.
Regional State Administrative Agencies
The Finnish Medicines Agency (Fimea) is responsible for
licensing and supervisory tasks, research and development and
producing and disseminating pharmaceutical information.
