Valvira orders: Access to non-urgent specialist medical care must be brought up to the level required by law

The National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health, Valvira mandates 14 wellbeing services counties and the HUS Group to bring access to non-urgent specialist medical care up to the level required by law by 31 March 2025. These must provide Valvira with a report on action taken and supervision data on access to treatment no later than 16 April 2025.

This order has been issued to the following wellbeing services counties: South Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Kanta-Häme (Oma Häme), Central Ostrobothnia (Soite), Central Finland, Lappi, Pirkanmaa (Pirha), Ostrobothnia, North Karelia (Siun sote), North Ostrobothnia (Pohde), North Savo, Päijät-Häme, Satakunta and Southwest Finland (Varha).

Valvira further requests that the wellbeing services counties of South Savo (Eloisa) and Kymenlaakso bring access to non-urgent specialist medical care up to the level required by law as soon as possible. These must provide Valvira with a report on action taken and supervision data on access to treatment no later than 16 April 2025.

Supervision began in July 2023.  By law, non-urgent specialist medical care must be provided no later than six months after the need for care is established.

Self-supervision undertaken

According to the Act on the Supervision of Social Welfare and Health Care Services, self-supervision is the primary form of supervision, and this has been undertaken. According to reports received from the supervised parties, they have aimed to improve their circumstances for instance by operational development, personnel recruitment and agency work, additional work and overtime, outsourcing and service vouchers, facilities leasing, and collaboration with other operators. However, they are challenged by a personnel shortage that is growing worse, inadequate funding, ageing of the population and a general increase in needs for specialist medical care. The impacts of the coronavirus pandemic have also not yet abated. 

“When self-supervision proves inadequate, the supervisory authorities intervene as allowed by law. An order and a request are means provided for in the Act on the Supervision of Social Welfare and Health Care Services with which the supervisory authority can intervene in operations that are not compliant with the law or in deficiencies and anomalies that compromise client and patient safety,” says Director Helena Mönttinen.

The supervisory authorities have provided plenty of guidance in self-supervision to the wellbeing services counties and to the HUS Group.  In March 2023, these were instructed to supervise that the maximum waiting times for access to treatment were not exceeded. Self-supervision was also the object of planned supervision in 2023. The primary nature of self-supervision was stressed on the steering and assessment visits made to the wellbeing services counties.

Enquiries

Director Helena Mönttinen, 0295 209 404

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Read news about the steering and assessment visits, 20 Feb 2024