Preparedness

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health directs, monitors and coordinates preparedness for incidents and emergencies in healthcare and social welfare. Wellbeing services counties are in charge of preparedness and contingency planning in their respective counties. The wellbeing services counties operating a university hospital have five centres for preparedness in healthcare and social welfare. Their task is to coordinate and harmonise the preparedness and contingency planning of their respective counties.

Under the Emergency Powers Act, the authorities must ensure that they can carry out their duties with minimal disruption even in emergency conditions. To do this, they need to draw up contingency plans and prepare for operations in advance.

• Emergency Powers ActLinkki toiselle sivustolle

at the Ministry in charge of preparedness matters is the Preparedness Unit, which works under the Department for Safety, Security and Health.

• Department for Safety, Security and Health

Advisory board on healthcare and social welfare in emergency conditions

On the proposal of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Government may appoint, for a maximum of five years at a time, an advisory board on social welfare and healthcare in emergency conditions. The advisory board plans and prepares not only the management of healthcare and social welfare under emergency conditions, but also the matters and support measures related to preparedness under normal conditions, as the organisation of these forms the basis for preparedness in emergencies.

Securing healthcare and social welfare services

Statutory healthcare and social welfare services must be provided under any conditions. Preparedness in healthcare and social welfare is regulated by:

• Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services 612/2021Linkki toiselle sivustolle, chapter 7 (available in Finnish and Swedish)
• Decree on the preparedness of wellbeing services counties for disruptions in healthcare and social welfare 308/2023 issued under section 50, subsection 4 of the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare ServicesLinkki toiselle sivustolle (available in Finnish and Swedish)
• Act on Wellbeing Services Counties 611/2021 Linkki toiselle sivustolle(available in Finnish and Swedish)
• Emergency Powers Act 1552/2011Linkki toiselle sivustolle (available in Finnish, Swedish and English)