Government proposes to gradually increase minimum staffing level in services for older people 

On 17 November, the Government submitted to Parliament a proposal for gradually increasing the minimum staffing level in 24-hour care for older people. According to the proposal, the minimum staffing level would be 0.65 employees per client as from 1 April 2023 and 0.7 employees per client as from 1 December 2023.

The funding allocated to the wellbeing services counties for implementing the minimum staffing level would not change as a result of this so that measures could be taken in the counties to improve the availability of personnel. The increase in the level of funding level for 2023 would be EUR 128 million.

A total of 37 comments were received on the draft government proposal. As a rule, the objective of the proposal was considered good in the current staff situation. Some of the consulted stakeholders considered that the proposed timetable for increasing the minimum staffing level was not long enough, while others hoped that the increased minimum level would enter into force sooner. Many of the comments stressed that improving the sufficiency and availability of personnel also calls for other measures.

• Government proposal
• Summary of comments
• Government to prepare proposal for gradually introducing minimum staffing level of 0.7 for care personnel in units providing 24-hour care for older people (available in Finnish and Swedish) 
• Proposal for gradually increasing minimum staffing level for care personnel in units providing 24-hour care for older people sent out for comments (available in Finnish and Swedish)

Inquiries:

Satu Karppanen, Ministerial Adviser, tel. +358 295 163 549
Email addresses are in the format [email protected].