Health and social services – Recovery and Resilience Plan
The Sustainable Growth Programme for Finland will improve the availability of health and social services. It will also increase the cost-effectiveness of services, producing better health and wellbeing for every euro spent.
Goals
During the COVID-19 pandemic many people have not had access to health and social services or have had to wait to access services. An important aim of the Programme is to reduce the backlog in care, rehabilitation and other services which has built up as a result of the pandemic.
The key goals also include adopting new multidisciplinary and multi-professional practices in healthcare and social welfare for promoting the health and wellbeing of the population. New digital services will also be introduced. Low threshold services will also be used to better meet various needs, for example the needs of those who are vulnerable.
The aim is quicker access to treatment and care, especially in primary healthcare. The Programme focuses on shortening the maximum waiting times for access to primary healthcare (treatment time guarantee) as referred to in the Government Programme, and on improving access to mental health services.
Measures under the Programme will support the goals for health and social services reform.
Funding
EUR 353 million at current prices
Projects
To improve access to health and social services and increase cost-effectiveness, four areas of investment are identified:
- promoting the implementation of maximum waiting times and reducing the backlog in care, rehabilitation and other services
- strengthening prevention work and early identification of problems
- reinforcing the knowledge base underpinning health and social services and the management of these services
- bringing new, efficiency-promoting digital services to service users and health and social services professionals.
What practical benefits will there be?
The reforms will mean people have quicker access to care, rehabilitation and other healthcare and social welfare services. For example, quicker access to mental health services will be made possible throughout the country. It is important to receive help at an early stage so that minor problems do not become more serious.
Improved availability of primary-level services will reduce the need for specialised medical care and demanding special services. This will curb the growth in health and social services expenditure.
The availability of health and social services and the accessibility of these services will improve as more digital service options are offered, such as online discussion with professionals and remote appointments. Mobile services can be brought to people's homes or to shopping centres, for example. This will also support locally accessible services. It will be easier to meet people’s needs when professionals in different fields can cooperate more closely and information is transmitted more effectively.
It will be possible to manage health and social services more effectively when common operating models are established along with procedures for locally managing appointments, queues, resources and other matters.
