Social and Health Care

Finnish social policy aims at equality. Society provides free basic and secondary education and gives support in making higher education highly affordable. Day care is available for all children under school age; alternatively it is possible for a parent to stay at home to look after her/his children while receiving a child home care allowance. There is also a range of public institutions and private homes for elderly people needing daily care. Public health care is available for a small charge. Diverse private-sector health care services supplement the public health care system.

In spite of the above, society faces difficulties and challenges. The most acute challenge is the high level of unemployment. A basic livelihood is provided through basic or earnings-related allowances for unemployed people. However, full employment would be the best solution to this Europe-wide problem. Finland will be facing the opposite problem of a lack of skilled labour in the future. Challenges abound.

In the health care sector, activities and systems are being constantly improved at local heath centres as well as local and central hospitals. Tampere University Hospital is one of the five leading central hospitals in Finland; it specialises in several fields, including microsurgery.

The use of information and communication technology and networks in nursing is being improved by means of several projects. Patient information transfer between different care units through the telecommunications network has been made possible in practice by relaxing the strictness of legislation applying to this area. Consultations with specialists and general practitioners by such means are becoming an everyday practice. Clients can approach their doctor as needed and give updates on their heath status to nurses by utilising information society technologies.

Alongside teaching, medical research is promoted by the universities. A medical technology centre enables the ideas arising from practical work at the Central Hospital to be developed into marketable products. This is one of the fastest-growing fields in the country.