Dissatisfaction with treatment, patient injuries and patient insurance in Finland
If you are unhappy with the treatment you received, you should primarily try to sort the matter out with the treatment provider. If necessary, you can submit a claim or a complaint. You can also ask for advice or help from the patient ombudsperson in your place of treatment.
Errors and deficiencies in treatment can usually be clarified and rectified by discussing them with the person providing the treatment or their supervisor.
If the matter cannot be solved by means of negotiations, you can submit a claim or a complaint. You can also submit a claim or complaint on behalf of someone else.
How to file a claim
- File a claim with the director responsible for healthcare.
- Make the claim in writing. There is often a form available on the website of the treatment place that you can use to file a claim.
- Make your description as clear as possible and mention any people that the claim concerns. If you do not know or cannot recall any names, be as specific as possible about where and when the incident occurred.
- The place of treatment must respond to your claim in writing within a reasonable time. The response must indicate how your matter has been analysed at the location and which actions have been taken as a result.
- You cannot appeal the response given to the claim.
How to file a complaint
You can submit a complaint if you find that there are deficiencies in the treatment. The complainant’s right to file a complaint is not only limited to the complainant’s own matter, but a complaint can be filed by anyone. Submit your complaint primarily to the Regional State Administrative Agency in your region or, in certain cases, to the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira). You cannot change or overturn a diagnosis or treatment decision made by a doctor or get financial compensation for patient injury by filing a complaint.
Submit your complaints concerning treatment to the Regional State Administrative Agency of the region where the treatment was provided.
Complaint to Valvira:
- If you suspect that a medical error or malpractice has resulted in severe permanent injury or death of a patient, you can file a complaint with Valvira.
- You can either make a free-form complaint or use the complaint form available on Valvira’s website.
Measures by the Regional State Administrative Agencies and Valvira:
- The healthcare professional or the management of the establishment may be issued with a warning or order to correct the shortcomings.
- The order may be issued with a conditional penalty payment, or the establishment may even be banned from operating.
- Valvira may issue a written warning to the healthcare professional or limit or withdraw their right to practise their profession.
If necessary, you can claim compensation from the Patient Insurance Centre.
Appealing against a decision by the competent authority of the wellbeing services county
- Decisions made by the competent authority of the wellbeing services county may be appealed against to the Administrative Court within 30 days.
- In some cases, decisions by the Administrative Court can be further appealed against to the Supreme Administrative Court if the Supreme Administrative Court grants leave to appeal.
Complaints against an authority or official
- If you suspect that an authority or official has not complied with the law or fulfilled their duties, you can file a complaint with the Parliamentary Ombudsman or the Chancellor of Justice.
- The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health may, on the basis of its general competence, take up a complaint concerning the conduct of a state authority of a Regional State Administrative Agency, Valvira or any other agency under it.
- By lodging a complaint, you can bring the shortcoming experienced by you to the attention of the supervising authority.
- However, no compensation will be paid on the basis of a complaint.
- When processing a complaint against an authority, it is not possible to take a stand on matters concerning individuals, but only on the conduct of the authority that is the subject of the complaint.
- Instead, the supervising authority may, for example, issue a warning to the authority on the basis of the complaint.
You can get help and advice from the patient ombudsperson
Every health centre and hospital has a patient ombudsperson whose task is to provide advice and assistance if, for example, you are unhappy with the care or treatment that you have received. The patient ombudsperson can also assist you in making a claim, complaint or notice of injury. The services of the patient ombudsperson are free of charge. You can receive the contact information for the patient ombudsperson from the health centre or hospital where you were treated.
The patient ombudsperson cannot comment on medical treatment decisions or whether or not patient injury has taken place. If you suspect that patient injury has taken place, you can register a notice of injury with the Patient Insurance Centre.
Read more about the patient ombudsperson (stm.fi)
If a patient injury has taken place, you can register a notice of injury with the Patient Insurance Centre
If a patient injury has taken place or you suspect one, you can register a notice of injury with the Patient Insurance Centre. The Finnish patient insurance covers all treatment provided in Finland’s public and private healthcare.
Finnish patient insurance does not cover treatment provided abroad. Exceptions to this are situations in which public healthcare has sent you abroad for treatment.
Read more on the Patient Insurance Centre website
How patient insurance covers detriments due to treatment
The Patient Insurance Centre uses the notice of injury and their own analyses to determine whether the injury is of a nature that will be covered by patient insurance.
Patient insurance covers detriments due to injuries caused by
- treatment, infection, accident or equipment failure.
- the facilities at the place of treatment or accidents in medicine delivery.
Patient insurance will not cover the consequences when:
- The consequences are among the possible risks of the examination or treatment
- The treatment has not generated the desired outcome
- The detriment is minor
- The treatment has been provided outside of Finland. Exceptions to this are situations in which public healthcare has sent you abroad for treatment.
File the notice of injury within three years of the injury
File the notice of injury within three years from the date when you received, or should have received, information concerning the injury. If you do not report it in time, you will not be eligible for compensation. Claim compensation within 10 years of the injury at the latest.
The patient ombudsperson can assist you in making a notice of injury. You can collect the notice of injury form from the Patient Insurance Centre, patient ombudsperson or healthcare unit.