Sufficiency and availability of healthcare and social welfare personnel to be ensured through the appropriate division of responsibilities

The programme for ensuring the sufficiency and availability of healthcare and social welfare personnel, which was launched by Minister Krista Kiuru, will end as the parliamentary term draws to a close. The aim of the programme has been to find solutions to meet the labour needs of the healthcare and social welfare sector now and in the coming years.

As part of the programme, a roadmap for ensuring the sufficiency, availability and low turnover of healthcare and social welfare personnel was drawn up for the next government term extending up to 2027. The programme sets out over 40 concrete measures for 2022–2023, most of which are being implemented.

The roadmap, extending up to 2027, builds on four strategic priorities. These priorities are ensuring competence, increasing the effectiveness of work, improving the conditions for good work, and knowledge-based analysis and foresight. 

“Ensuring the sufficiency and availability of healthcare and social welfare personnel calls for a number of different measures simultaneously. However, the most important thing is to renew operating models in the wellbeing services counties and in service provision,” says Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru. 

Thriving and competent professionals in the right place

The aim is to focus the work input of healthcare and social welfare professionals on duties that correspond to their qualifications. The number of assisting personnel and support service personnel will be increased in order not to compromise client and patient safety or lower the qualification requirements.

Practices and models that have been proven effective will be used in the division of duties, and they will be refined in accordance with the service needs of the population in the counties. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has drawn up draft guidelines on how to apply legislation when developing operating models for work duty structures and the division of duties. Comments on the draft guidelines can be submitted until 8 March 2023. 

When there are no separate provisions under which certain duties must be performed by people who have completed a certain degree or gained certain professional qualifications, employers have the discretion to make flexible working arrangements and assign personnel to duties that correspond to their education, competence and professional skills. 

Employers can procure and train assisting personnel and support service personnel flexibly and provide them with further training, with a focus on their work duties, to ensure they have the required competence to undertake duties supporting professionals.

In addition to the guidelines, the Ministry has put together, and continues to put together, answers to questions about what different healthcare and social welfare professionals can do within the framework of current legislation. The questions together with their answers are available on the website of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. 

Responsibility recommendations for the international recruitment of healthcare and social welfare personnel

The responsibility recommendations for the international recruitment of healthcare and social welfare personnel were also prepared as part of the programme. The recommendations aim to promote the consideration of responsibility aspects in international recruitment and to combat the risks of labour exploitation. The recommendations are intended for a wide range of actors in the field, such as organisers of health and social services and public and private service providers.

The strategic roadmap and measures were prepared by an intersectoral working group together with the social partners in the field. The Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services served as the steering group for the programme. 

Inquiries:

Taina Mäntyranta, Senior Ministerial Adviser, Medical Affairs, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 692
Jenny Suominen, Special Adviser to Minister Kiuru, tel. +358 295 163 387
firstname.lastname@gov.fi

Links:

• Roadmap for 2022–2027 (in finnish)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab
• Draft guidelines: Application of legislation on professionals when developing operating models for work duty structures and the division of duties for healthcare and social welfare personnel (lausuntopalvelu.fi, in finnish)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab
• Frequently asked questions about the division of responsibilities and operating models concerning healthcare and social welfare personnel (in finnish)
• Responsibility recommendations for the international recruitment of healthcare and social welfare personnel (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment) (in finnish)Link to an external websiteOpens in a new tab