The Government proposal on downsizing the hospital network will close down several round-the-clock hospital emergency departments. Round-the-clock special health care emergency services will no longer be provided in Kemi, Savonlinna, Oulainen and Salo. In addition, the round-the-clock emergency department of Valkeakoski hospital would not be started again.
The round-the-clock basic health care emergency departments in Iisalmi, Varkaus, Jämsä and Raahe would also be discontinued.
– The decision to stop the provision of childbirth services in Kemi and Lohja was already a big mistake. The Government proposal will exacerbate the situation by collapsing the level of patient safety and increasing inequality between regions,” says Tehy President Millariikka Rytkönen.
Decision-makers should focus on improving social and healthcare services instead of demolishing them. Rytkönen encourages Members of Parliament to reject the Government proposal and focus on improving social and healthcare services in the Parliament vote tomorrow.
– The Members of Parliament who vote in favour of downsizing the hospital network will have a lot on their conscience. It is no wonder that some Members of Parliament representing the Government have already broke ranks and decided to vote against the proposal.
Tehy emphasises that access to equal, high-quality services is the basic right of all citizens. Adequate resources, digitalisation and the development of workloads and treatment chains are needed in order to develop the services.
– Many wellbeing services counties have already done valuable development work, but Petteri Orpo’s Government will void these efforts. The cuts made already by Minister of Finance Riikka Purra prior to this Government proposal have left the social and healthcare services of our country gasping for air, says Rytkönen.
Staff shortage and career changes on the rise
Downsizing the hospital network will increase stress among the care personnel, create congestions in emergency departments and reduce the attractiveness of the industry.
– Nurses will have to commute longer distances or carry out excessively stressful tasks. They will also be transferred to positions where they do not have the required special expertise. Experienced, trained professionals will be inclined to change careers, says Rytkönen.
According to the National Audit Office of Finland, the centralisations already carried out have led to the loss of skilled, experienced personnel, especially in the surgery and anaesthesia sector.
The loss of this special expertise is unsustainable, both in terms of finances and patient safety.
Numerous surveys made by Tehy in recent years also indicate that the willingness to change careers has increased.
– Improving salaries, working conditions and resources is a cost-effective solution for high-quality social and healthcare services. However, the Government proposal will only increase costs and lower the quality of services, Rytkönen says.
Tehy has previously criticised heavily the downsizing of the hospital network and the Government’s cuts related to childbirth services, waiting time guarantees and round-the-clock elderly care services.
Enquiries: Tehy President Millariikka Rytkönen through Special Advisor Mila Huovinen, [email protected], tel. +358 (0)400 540005