Health Care – Medical

Healthcare workforce availability challenges have continued to increase in Finland in 2023, and doctors’ salary demands have been on the rise. There is still a significant shortage of healthcare personnel, affecting both primary and specialized services.

The availability of personnel varies by region and professional groups. The retirement of staff members adds to the recruitment challenges, with the northern and eastern regions of Finland experiencing the highest proportion of retirements. It is projected that approximately one-fifth of the workforce in the future well-being areas will retire by 2030.

Finland’s population is aging and requires more services than before. At the same time, the working-age population is decreasing, birth rates are declining, and the dependency ratio is worsening. Quality social and healthcare services cannot be provided without competent personnel. Currently, the healthcare sector pays special attention to working conditions, work environment, employee well-being, and leadership.

In Finland, healthcare expenses amounted to 21.8 billion euros in 2021. In the same year, public financing accounted for approximately 74 percent of healthcare expenses, while private financing accounted for about 26 percent. The aging of healthcare personnel remains a significant challenge, as by 2025, over 40 percent of those who were working in 2014 will reach the age of 65.

New private sector experts have emerged in the healthcare sector, creating innovative business models to promote health. The social and healthcare reform (Sote reform) continues to be a significant change that will impact the future of healthcare. The reform aims to make the entire public social and healthcare system more customer-oriented, with services becoming more timely, effective, and efficient. The reform targets a savings goal of approximately 3 billion euros to address the sustainability gap in public finances.

In the future, the roles of individual healthcare professionals and leaders will undergo further changes. Therefore, it is the responsibility of leaders and especially immediate supervisors to keep the staff informed about the required changes brought by the reform and involve them in implementing the changes. The changes in the healthcare sector also require continuous development of skills and the adoption of new technologies.