Sometimes we need care in the form of a simple procedure or consultation; at other times more comprehensive treatment and diagnostics are needed. Whatever the case, SFP wants to ensure that health care fulfils people’s demands and needs.
We want the closest emergency hospital to be within a reasonable distance when people need specialist care. We want people to receive the care and assistance they need, without being sent from one instance to another. Central hospitals play a critical role in the functioning of health care. Cooperation between all the components of health care must be frictionless, with the focus always on the patient. University hospitals have important special tasks and must receive sufficient funding.
Health care develops quickly. This creates pressure on costs, but also on the speed of adopting new discoveries. It also means that research plays a central role in development. We must find a balance between having sufficient domestic cutting-edge competence in a smaller number of units and ensuring the accessibility of services that need to be nearby. We want Finland to be a leading country in medical research.
SFP wants:
- local hospitals to play an important role with diverse special responsibilities
- to ensure broad outpatient services are available close to people
- to secure the right of smaller hospitals to carry out ordinary outpatient surgeries and maintain public 24-hour emergency care
- to ensure there are enough ambulances, even in the countryside, so that emergency care can be guaranteed in all parts of the country
- to safeguard the operations of medical helicopters
- to reinforce the wellbeing services counties’ research, development and innovation activities
- to invest in the training opportunities of primary care personnel, so that high-quality health care is secured
