New Client and Patient Safety Strategy: Finland aims to be model country for client and patient safety in 2026

The new Client and Patient Safety Strategy and its Implementation Plan for 2022–2026 have been published. The vision of the Strategy is to make Finland a model country for client and patient safety in 2026 and to prevent avoidable harm.

The new Strategy and its Implementation Plan will promote inclusion, measures that strengthen safety, and the management of safety culture in Finland. 

The aim is to introduce recommendations based on the best research data so that they will benefit professionals, patients and clients in all organisations at all levels of operation.

Safety is built in a systematic manner through cooperation 

The Strategy and its Implementation Plan have been prepared for the use of healthcare and social welfare professionals, the actors leading and supervising the activities, political decision-makers and clients, patients and their families. The Strategy is intended for both public and private operators in the healthcare and social welfare sector.

The Strategy has the following four strategic priorities: together with clients and patients, thriving and competent professionals, safety first in all organisations, and improving what already exists. 

There are three objectives under each priority, and achieving these objectives will concretely promote the realisation of client and patient safety. Achieving these objectives requires determined efforts from all healthcare and social welfare professionals and organisations.

Ten key indicators have been selected to monitor the achievement of the objectives. These indicators will commit Finland to the objectives set by the World Health Organization (WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030). The Implementation Plan describes the indicators for monitoring the implementation of measures. 

Strategy is a continuation of previous work on client and patient safety

The Strategy was prepared in a number of workshops, working groups and steering groups. The Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety supported the preparation of the Strategy in practice. The expertise of a wide range of different stakeholders was utilised during the preparation phase. 

Finland has promoted client and patient safety by means of national-level strategic guidance since 2009 when the first National Patient Safety Strategy was published. 

Inquiries:

Kaisa Halinen, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 154, firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Sonja Jantunen, Legal Adviser, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 366, firstname.lastname@gov.fi
Tuija Ikonen, Director, Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety, tel. +358 40579 5482, firstname.lastname@ovph.fi