Hospitals and specialised medical care
Specialized medical services, including various specialist examinations and treatments, are primarily provided in hospitals, outpatient clinics, and emergency departments.
Access to specialised healthcare is realised by staggering treatment according to certain criteria, and it usually requires a referral. Urgent, emergency care is also available without a referral
Most Finnish hospitals are public. The central hospitals of the wellbeing services counties and, for the population in their area, university hospitals are responsible for basic and demanding specialised healthcare. University hospitals are responsible for the most demanding specialised healthcare for the entire population.
In addition to these, the wellbeing services counties will have other hospitals. Inpatient wards of health centres can also be called hospitals. Private hospitals supplement public services. In these services, care is provided either as services paid for by patients themselves and through their insurance policies or as services purchased by wellbeing services counties.
Wellbeing services counties and the HUS Group are responsible for organising hospital services
The wellbeing services counties see to it that county residents receive the necessary specialised healthcare. Each wellbeing services county has either a university or central hospital. The HUS Group, which is the joint authority for Helsinki and Uusimaa, is responsible for organising specialised healthcare and maintaining hospitals in Uusimaa. The wellbeing services counties may also have other hospitals.
Each wellbeing services county belongs to one of the five collaborative areas. Each area has one university hospital, which provides highly specialised healthcare.
The provision of certain treatments and operations is centralised on the national level to the university hospitals. Further provisions on the organisation and centralisation of highly specialised healthcare are laid down by decree.
The operation of hospitals and the provision of care are regulated by the Health Care Act
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general planning and law drafting related to specialised healthcare, and for the support, guidance and strategic development of the implementation of the relevant legislation.
Provisions on the operations of hospitals are laid down in the Health Care Act.
Provisions on the operational arrangements of hospitals are laid down in the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services.
One of the objectives of the Government Programme is to improve the smooth operation of care chains by improving cooperation between primary healthcare, specialised healthcare, occupational healthcare and social services.
Access to treatment at hospitals
First aid and urgent care are provided at hospitals for everyone in need of care irrespective of their place of residence.
To receive non-urgent specialised healthcare, patients must have a referral issued, for example, by a general practitioner at the health centre or an occupational health physician. Access to specialised healthcare must be arranged within a specified period of time.
Patients in need of specialised healthcare services may choose the treatment facility with the referring physician or dentist.
Authorities' responsibilities in the operations of hospitals
The Regional State Administrative Agencies and the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) monitor the operations of hospitals.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is the expert agency for specialised healthcare. It also collects statistics on the services provided at hospitals.