Haku

Wellbeing services counties will be responsible for organising health, social and rescue services Wellbeing services counties will be responsible for organising healthcare, social welfare and rescue services in Finland. There are 21 wellbeing serv...

Health and social services The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health sets the guidelines for developing health and social services, drafts the relevant legislation and guides the implementation of reforms. Legislation » Legislation on social and h...

Steering of wellbeing services counties The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general guidance, direction, planning and development of healthcare and social welfare in Finland. The Ministry of the Interior, in turn, is r...

Wellbeing services counties on the map Shortly There are 21 wellbeing services counties in Finland, responsible for organizing social and health care services as well as rescue services in their respective areas. The City of Helsinki and the Åland...

The large-scale interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform aims to assess the achievement of the reform objectives in 2025 in relation to the objectives laid down in legislation. The evaluation will be carried out on the basis of the implementation in 2023–2025 and by examining the preconditions for achieving the long-term objectives of the reform.

10.12.2025 | An independent group of experts has conducted a broad-based interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform, which was published on 10 December. Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuso, Minister of Local and Regional Government Anna-Kaisa Ikonen and Minister of the Interior Mari Rantanen consider the findings valuable.

10.12.2025 | The wellbeing services county reform is progressing towards the set objectives throughout Finland, but there are still many issues left to address. This is according to a broad-based interim evaluation of the wellbeing services county reform made by an independent expert group.

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health directs, monitors and coordinates preparedness for incidents and emergencies in healthcare and social welfare.

Good Work Programme – Creating more appeal and staying power in the healthcare and social welfare sector Mounting service needs driven by an ageing Finnish population, higher rates of chronic diseases, evolving expectations and new technologies – ...

Organisations and associations as part of the healthcare and social welfare system. There are more than 11,000 healthcare and social welfare organisations in Finland (2020). There are also a large number of organisations in the fields of sports, culture and rescue services.

8.12.2020 | According to the government proposal, the wellbeing services counties and the City of Helsinki would be responsible for organising rescue services in their respective areas starting at the beginning of 2023. Contract fire brigades could be used to provide these services as at present. The role of central government guidance and direction in rescue services would be strengthened.

5.6.2020 | On 5 June, the Government published its policy on the reform of rescue services. The Government proposes that the responsibility for organising rescue services would rest with health and social services counties and the City of Helsinki. Rescue services would continue to be a separate sector working in parallel with the healthcare and social welfare sector.

15.6.2020 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior request comments on the draft government proposal concerning the health and social services reform and the organisation of rescue services from the municipalities and joint municipal authorities of mainland Finland and other parties mentioned in the request for comments. The deadline for submitting comments is 25 September 2020.

In accordance with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Orpo's Government, solving the shortage of personnel threatening the availability of services in the welfare society requires both short-term and long-term measures. The Good Work Programme will be launched to ensure the sufficiency and availability of personnel in the health, social services and rescue services sectors.

15.6.2020 | The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of the Interior request comments on the draft government proposal concerning the health and social services reform and the organisation of rescue services. The act would lay down provisions on, for example the organisation of rescue services, and the system of management and coordination as well as development and oversight of rescue services.

Healthcare and social welfare system and responsibilities Finland’s healthcare and social welfare system is founded on public healthcare and social welfare services funded from tax revenue. Alongside the public sector, private companies provide he...

Healthcare and social welfare system and responsibilities Finland’s healthcare and social welfare system is founded on public healthcare and social welfare services funded from tax revenue. Alongside the public sector, private companies provide he...

Guidance of information management in healthcare and social welfare The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health is responsible for the general planning, guidance and monitoring of information management within its administrative branch and for the f...

22.10.2020 | A summary of comments received on the draft government proposal on the organisation of health, social and rescue services is published. It collates the main comments received during the consultation round on the draft government proposal. Respondents welcome the objectives of the reform and agree on its necessity.

13.10.2020 | The Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services has reviewed the comments received during the consultation round, organised from 15 June to 25 September, on the health and social services reform and outlined policies and made changes to the draft government proposal. The draft bill will be submitted to the Finnish Council of Regulatory Impact Analysis (FCRIA) on 14 October 2020. The Government proposal is due to be submitted to Parliament in early December 2020.

Social lending Shortly The wellbeing services counties grant social loans. In Helsinki, the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division is responsible for social lending. If you would like to apply for a social loan, please contact t...

29.1.2024 | A recent report compares Finns’ state of health and Finnish health services with other EU states and Nordic countries. Released by the European Commission, focus areas of the report include the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic and mental health. Although Finland does well in many respects, there are challenges especially in the availability of health services.

The Government of Prime Minister Sanna Marin will implement the Future Health and Social Services Centres programme. The programme will develop primary health and social services: their availability will be improved and the services will be coordinated to meet people’s needs

Sote-uudistuksen johtoryhmän tehtävänä on johtaa uudistuksen virkavalmistelua ja koordinoida valmistelutyötä.

Hallitus selvittää Uudenmaan, pääkaupunkiseudun tai Helsingin alueen erillisratkaisun yhteistyössä alueen kaupunkien ja kuntien kanssa vuoden 2019 loppuun mennessä. Työskentelyä varten nimitetään erillisselvityksen ohjausryhmä sekä seurantaryhmä. Ryhmien jäsenet näkyvissä asettamispäätöksessä (löytyy asiakirjaliitteistä).

5.6.2020 | The Government has finalised the policy outlines for the health and social services reform, on the basis of which preparations for the reform will continue. The aim is to circulate the draft bills on the restructuring of health and social services for comments in June.

8.12.2020 | The Government proposes that wellbeing services counties be established and healthcare, social welfare and rescue services be reformed. The proposed counties would be established as soon as possible after the passing and approval of the relevant bills. The bills would enter into force in stages, the first ones on 1 July 2021 and the last ones on 1 January 2023. However, Parliament needs to pass the legislative package before the reform can enter into force.

21.10.2020 | A summary of comments received on the draft government proposal on the organisation of health, social and rescue services is published. Respondents welcome the objectives of the reform and agree on its necessity.

17.1.2023 | The European Commission is funding the EU’s first chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear strategic reserve in Finland, under rescEU, which includes personal protective equipment, measuring equipment, pharmaceuticals and antibodies in Finland for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear accidents.

Hallituksen esitykseen kootaan sote-uudistuksesta johtuvat muuhun lainsäädäntöön tehtävät tekniset muutokset.

Esityksessä ehdotetaan säädettäväksi uuden hallintotason, hyvinvointialueiden, perustamisen ja toiminnan kannalta keskeiset lait: laki hyvinvointialueesta, laki sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon järjestämisestä, laki pelastustoimen järjestämisestä, Uusimaa-laki, niiden yhteinen voimaanpanolaki, hyvinvointialueiden rahoituslaki sekä eräät muutoslait.

30.6.2020 | The decisions on discretionary government transfers for projects included in the Future Health and Social Services Centres programme and for projects supporting the restructuring of health and social services have been made.

22.12.2022 | Wellbeing services counties will take over the responsibility for organising healthcare, social wel-fare and rescue services from municipalities and joint municipal authorities at the beginning of 2023. Due to this change, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health website at stm.fi will undergo major updates.

5.12.2025 | 1 Classified as ECDC NORMAL Appendix 10 - Country follow-up to ECDC PHEPA recommendations Following the PHEPA mission conducted in your country, the final ECDC assessment report includes a series of recommendations aiming at supporting your countr...

2.6.2025 | Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö, valtiovarainministeriö ja sisäministeriö ovat yhdessä käynnistäneet hyvinvointialueuudistuksen laajapohjaisen väliarvioinnin. Ulkoinen arviointi valmistuu vuoden 2025 loppuun mennessä.

1.8.2024 | SOSIAALI- JA TERVEYSTOIMEN YKSIKKÖ- JA KUTSUTUNNUKSET 7. TOUKOKUUTA 2024 1 Sisällys Johdanto .............................................................................................................................................................

5.12.2025 | Country report: ECDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness Assessment for Finland, 2024 Under Article 8 of the Regulation (EU) 2022/2371 ASSESSMENT ECDC ASSESSMENT Country report: ECDC Public Health Emergency Preparedness Assessment for Finland, 20...

21.5.2025 | The employment rate of registered nurses and practical nurses is high, with more than 90 per cent of graduates finding work in the social welfare and health care sector. Unemployed nurses cannot be relied on to respond to the future labour shortage in the sector. People who have sought employment in other sectors represent the most significant resource of unutilised workforce. Some relief can also be provided by pensioners for whom working is increasingly common.

11.6.2020 | FINNISH GOVERNMENT | Snellmaninkatu 1 A, Helsinki, PO Box 23, FI-00023 Government, Finland Prime Minister Marin’s Government decides basis for health and social services reform The Government has finalised the policy outlines for the health and so...

13.2.2026 | Together Against Cancer – Human-Centred Cancer Prevention and Care National Cancer Strategy 2026–2035 Finland National Cancer Strategy 2026–2035 Contents Summary 3 Strategic objectives 5 Current situation and operating environment 6 Cancer in Finl...

19.12.2019 | The final report on a separate study concerning possible special arrangements for health and social services in Uusimaa, the Greater Helsinki region or Helsinki proposes that further preparation be based on a model where healthcare and social welfare as well as rescue services would be organised in four autonomous regions and the City of Helsinki. The primary responsibility for organising specialised medical care would also rest with these regions.

20.12.2016 | A report by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health showed that private social service providers must improve their preparedness for example for storms and heat waves.

23.6.2021 | Eduskunta hyväksyi hallituksen esityksen hyvinvointialueiden perustamisesta sekä sosiaali- ja terveydenhuollon ja pelastustoimen järjestämisen uudistamisesta 23. kesäkuuta. Hyvinvointialueet perustetaan mahdollisimman pian lakien hyväksymisen ja vahvistamisen jälkeen. Lait tulevat voimaan porrastetusti, osa 1. heinäkuuta 2021 ja viimeiset 1. tammikuuta 2023.

Regeringens proposition till riksdagen med förslag till lag om ändring av lagen om ordnande av social- och hälsovård PROPOSITIONENS HUVUDSAKLIGA INNEHÅLL I denna proposition föreslås det att lagen om ordnande av social- och hälsovård ändras. Syfte...

20.12.2023 | Additional common EU reserves will be established in Finland. The new reserves will contain supplies such as medicines, medical supplies and medical devices, and they are part of the rescEU project. Finland has received a total of EUR 305 million in funding from the European Commission for the establishment of the reserves

26.10.2020 | As part of the preparation of the health and social services reform, an exercise will be carried out to establish cooperation between the central government and the future wellbeing services counties. This will be done during the negotiations designed to provide the counties with guidance and direction. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will hold the negotiations with the counties between 27 October and 4 December.

13.8.2020 | Sote-uudistusta johtavan ministeriryhmän jäsenet kiertävät elo-syyskuussa 22 alueella keskustelemassa tulevasta sote- ja pelastustoimen järjestämisen uudistuksesta. Kierroksen tavoitteena on tarjota alueille mahdollisuus keskustella lakiluonnoksesta ennen lausuntoajan päättymistä.

1.8.2024 | DEN 7 MAJ 2024 ENHETSKODER OCH ANROPSSIGNALER INOM SOCIAL- OCH HÄLSOVÄSENDET 1 Innehåll Inledning ........................................................................................................................................................

5.6.2020 | Reform of health, social and rescue services Policy outlines of the Ministerial Working Group on Health and Social Services Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru Press conference on 5 June 2020 About the reform • Reduce inequ...

2.2.2021 | The Global Risks Report  of the World Economic Forum includes extreme weather and climate action failure, infectious diseases and digital inequality in the list of world’s greatest threats in 2021. These issues also directly impact occupational safety and health (OSH). 

8.12.2021 | Facilitating the employment of persons with disabilities will be the focus of a virtual Nordic conference on Thursday 9 December. The conference will highlight new kinds of intermediate labour markets and successful experiences of employing people with disabilities through social enterprises. The agenda also includes good practices for supporting work ability for people with disabilities at workplaces.

21.12.2016 | On 21 December, the Government published a draft of the legislation detailing how customers will be able to select from among the health and social services that are within the scope of freedom of choice. The legislation aims to ensure that freedom of choice will increase the customer's possibilities of exerting influence, speed up access to services as well as improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of services.

19.12.2018 | #norden2020 In connection with the Finnish Presidency 2016 of the Nordic Council of Ministers, separate Nordic project funds were granted in order to raise themes that Finland wanted to highlight in the frame of Nordic co-operation. One of these p...

19.12.2024 | KORJAUSLISTA Valtioneuvoston yleisistunto 19.12.2024 Erkki Papunen (35) Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö Hallituksen esitys Korjausjakelu 1: 18.12.2024, klo 09.36 Korjattu esityksen 8 lukuun viittaus asetuksenantovaltuuteen kohdistumaan esityksen 50...