Ministry of Social Affairs and Health officials: Healthcare and social welfare of the future will provide services for everyone according to their needs

Officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health have prepared a healthcare and social welfare 2040 vision to outline their view of the long-term direction of health and social services in Finland. The aim is to ensure that, in future, people in Finland will continue to receive effective, equal and sustainable services which they can trust.

The vision points out that the healthcare and social welfare of the future requires clear choices.
According to the officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, it is not possible to offer everything for everyone if the goal is for the system to remain controlled and sustainable relative to society's capacity. The aim is to have a system in which services are allocated according to need, in the right place at the right time.

At the same time, the role of technology and data will increase: in the future, information will move with people from one service to another, ensuring the continuity and seamlessness of care.

A shared vision across government terms

The healthcare and social welfare 2040 vision outlines how health and social services can be reformed, through parliamentary preparation, as a package that spans multiple terms of government.

The vision identifies the key problems of the system — discontinuity of care, the complexity of guidance and the fragmentation of resources — and presents 15 action proposals for a change of direction.

The work on the vision takes place at a time when Finland's health and social services reform is practically only in its third year of operation. The senior officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health note that the reform, which was prepared for a long time, also requires long-term development.

"The reform of health and social services was prepared for over a decade, but its practical implementation is still in its early days. The healthcare and social welfare 2040 vision provides guidelines for the continued development of the reform," says Director of Strategy Pasi Pohjola.

The system is based on choices

"Healthcare and social welfare of the future cannot be everything for everyone. We need to have the courage to make choices so that the system remains controlled and sustainable, and is guaranteed to be effective for those who need it," says Permanent Secretary Veli-Mikko Niemi.

"Healthcare and social welfare cannot be changed overnight. It requires commitment, continuous dialogue and a common direction that spans multiple terms of government," Niemi adds.

Information moves with people

"In 2040, information will move with people: a shared information system will identify needs and support smooth care regardless of time and place," explains Director of Strategy Pasi Pohjola.

"This is an invitation to a discussion. The aim of the vision is to build a shared view of how, and by what means, we will safeguard wellbeing, health and equal services in a changing world," Pohjola notes.

Connection with the ongoing evaluation

The officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health emphasise that the vision complements the ongoing interim evaluation of the health and social services reform by external parties, which will be published later this year. The vision introduces a long-term perspective and guidelines to the discussion which, alongside the observations made in the evaluation, will support the continued development of the reform.

Long-term change requires a common direction

The vision emphasises that the health and social services reform is not an individual project, but rather a change that takes decades. The officials of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health propose that the future direction be prepared through a parliamentary process. This way, healthcare and social welfare will remain stable, equal and compatible with society's capacity even during the change.

• Presentation material on the healthcare and social welfare 2040 vision
• Healthcare and social welfare 2024: paths to the future. Expert essays on the future of healthcare and social welfare (in Finnish)

Inquiries:

Permanent Secretary Veli-Mikko Niemi

Director of Strategy Pasi Pohjola

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