Finland is divided into hundreds of municipalities, which are responsible for arranging health care for their inhabitants. Primary health care is provided by health centres established by a single municipality or jointly by neighbouring municipalities. Municipalities may buy services from other municipalities or from the private sector.
Health centre services include medical consultations and provision of dental care, preventive care and environmental health care. Health centres run maternity and child?health clinics, and arrange school and occupational health services.
Health centres vary greatly in size. The largest employ hundreds of doctors and provide highly specialized services. In health centres in remote areas, doctors have to be able to cope with emergencies as well as offering basic health care. Attached to each health centre there is usually a hospital for people with mild or chronic illness, a small laboratory, a radiological unit and a physiotherapy unit.
Most Finnish municipalities have switched from a primary health care system to a family doctor system. The aim is for a patient to be able to contact her or his doctor and have the need for treatment assessed within three working days. Relationships between doctors and patients have become closer. The benefits of long-term patient-doctor relationships include a reduced need for hospital examinations.
Outpatient care is also provided by occupational and private health-care units. Employers are under an obligation to arrange occupational health care for employees. Occupational health care can be arranged through municipal health centres or private practitioners. About 6% of Finnish doctors work in occupational health care, offering both preventive services and primary health care.
Primary health care
Förbund
The Finnish Medical Association -
Health Care and the Medical Profession in Finland
Association
