Updates

In November 2022 the Finnish Parliament decided to reduce the maximum waiting times for non-urgent outpatient care in public primary health care. By amending the Health Care Act (116/2023) the guarantee of maximum waiting time for both non-urgent physical and mental health problems will be gradually shortened from the current threshold of three months. In the initial transition period (from September 2023 to October 2024), the access to outpatient care in primary health care will be guaranteed within 14 days. As of November 2024, the Wellbeing Service Counties have to guarantee the access to care within seven days. This guarantee will apply to care in cases involving an illness, an injury, an exacerbation of a long-term illness, new symptoms or a deterioration of capacity for work. The respective waiting times in access to dental care will be initially shortened from the current six months to four months, and eventually to three months. The current maximum waiting times in specialised health care will remain the same.