National project to secure the future of health care
Preamble
In September 2001, the Council of State declared a national project to secure the
future of health care. The mission of the project was to evaluate the existing problems of
the service system and those threatening it as well as to prepare a plan and programme of
action to eliminate the problems.
A project management group was appointed, chaired by Markku Lehto,
Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The other members
appointed to the group were Permanent Secretary of State Raimo Sailas of the Ministry of
Finance, Managing Director Risto Parjanne of the Association of Finnish Local and Regional
Authorities, Chief Executive Officer of Nursing Pirkko Valkonen of the Hospital District
of Central Finland and Special Investigator and Director General Jussi Huttunen of the
National Public Health Institute of Finland. Ministerial Counsellor, Health/Medical
Affairs Jouko Isolauri of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health served as secretary to
the management group.
Four pairs of administrators and one trustee were appointed for the
project, all of whom were assisted by their own support groups.
The reform of the operational and administrative structures of the service
system and improvements in efficiency and productivity were considered by
Hospital District Director Rauno Ihalainen of Pirkanmaa Hospital District and Professor
Mats Brommels of the University of Helsinki.
The need for labour and division of duties and the improvement of working
conditions and in-service training were considered by Matti Uusitupa, Dean of the
University of Kuopio, and Chief Health Care Officer Riitta Simoila of the City of Helsinki
Health Department.
The level and stability of health care financing as well as sources of finance
and the improvement of the guidance system were considered by Director-General
Jussi Huttunen of the National Public Health Institute.
The development of the division of labour and cooperation in the public health
care, private and third sectors were considered by Hospital District Director
Pentti Silvola of the Northern Ostrobothnian Hospital District and Executive Director
Hannele Kalske of the Rheumatism Foundation Hospital.
The consolidation of treatment practices and improvement of access to treatment
were considered by Professor Marjukka Mäkelä of the National Research and Development
Centre for Welfare and Health Stakes and Chief Physician Leena Niinistö of the Katariina
Hospital.
The project administrators and their support groups handed in their interim report in
January 2002. On the basis of this, the project management group submitted its final
proposals to secure the future of health care in April 2002. The Council of State issued a
decision in principle on the matter also in April 2002. The aim of the decision in
principle is to develop health services as cooperation between the municipalities and the
state so that the activities of NGOs and the private sector are also taken into
consideration. In this way it is possible to ensure that the population receives the
high-quality care that it needs in different parts of the country in such a way that the
provision of treatment is not dependent on the recipient’s ability to pay.