Objections and complaints in social welfare or health care
If you are not satisfied with the service or care you have been provided, please follow the instructions below.
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Contact the operating unit that provided the service or care
The principal way to resolve issues in the service or care provided is to discuss them with the operating unit in question. Speak to the person who provided the service or care, or to their supervisor. This is the quickest way to investigate the case.
If a discussion does not help, you can file a written objection with the operating unit.
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File an objection
Write an explanation of the issue about which you are filing an objection. Be as clear as possible. Explain in detail when and where the incident occurred. Be clear about what it was with which you were not satisfied in the service or treatment you were provided. You may write a freeform objection, or you may use the form provided, which can usually be found on the website of the operating unit.
In social welfare cases, send the objection to the social welfare operating unit or the senior officer in charge of social services; in health care cases, send the objection to the manager in charge of the care facility. The senior officer or manager is obliged to investigate the matter and to respond to you in writing. The response will be returned in about one month.
If you are not satisfied with the response, you may file a complaint with the Regional State Administrative Agency.
If a client in social welfare or a patient in health care is unable to file an objection themselves due to illness, incapacity or similar reason, or if they are deceased, an objection may also be filed by their legal representative, family member or other related party.
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File a complaint with the Regional State Administrative Agency (or, in special cases, with Valvira)
Almost all complaints fall within the domain of the Regional State Administrative Agencies. Instructions on how to file a complaint with the Regional State Administrative Agency can be found on their website (avi.fi).
You should file a complaint with Valvira only if you suspect that malpractice has led to the death of a patient or severe and permanent injury. You can file a complaint online in our health care e-service, on our secure form, on the health care complaint form at the end of this page, or on an informal basis. Complaints related to the legality of the operations of the Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS) can be filed with Valvira.
In social services, Valvira handles complaints that are of national importance or have broad implications and complaints that concern services provided in the area of two or more Regional State Administrative Agencies. You can file a complaint online in our social welfare e-service, on the social welfare complaint form at the end of this page, or on an informal basis.
If you send your complaint to Valvira and Valvira has to refer it to the Regional State Administrative Agency, this will significantly delay the processing of the complaint.
Frequently asked questions about filing an objection or a complaint
You can file a complaint with Valvira online in our e-service . E-transactions require you to log in using online banking IDs or a mobile certificate.
For online complaints, we need the following details:
- details of the person filing the complaint
- details of the patient (health care) or client (social welfare)
- object of the complaint: operating unit or care facility
- date of the incident
- description of the matter or incident that is the subject of the complaint
- details of any objections or complaints filed previously
- details of how the matter has been processed with other parties (if any)
If Valvira or the Regional State Administrative Agency finds that errors have occurred in the service or care provided or that inappropriate actions have been taken, Valvira or the Agency will take action it considers appropriate based on the complaint. You will be notified if the supervisory authority decides that there are no grounds for taking the matter further. Valvira or the Regional Government Agency may also issue administrative guidance to the social welfare or health care professional in question or the person responsible for the operations in question. The purpose of such guidance is to guide that professional or unit to act otherwise in the future.
Neither Valvira nor the Regional State Administrative Agency can amend or overturn a physician’s diagnosis or care decision on the basis of a complaint, nor can they overturn decisions made by a court of law or by any other public authority. You cannot seek monetary compensation through a complaint. You can claim compensation from the Patient Insurance Centre.
Our aim is to process complaints within one year of receiving them.
The supervisory authorities generally do not address matters that are more than two years old.
By filing your complaint with the appropriate authority, you ensure that your complaint and those of others are processed in a timely manner. Every year, Valvira is obliged to refer about 1,000 complaints to a Regional State Administrative Agency for processing, and this significantly delays the processing of those complaints.