Negotiations start between counties and Ministry of Social Affairs and Health — exercise now includes negotiations with collaborative catchment areas

As part of the preparation of the health and social services reform, an exercise will be carried out to establish cooperation between the central government and the future wellbeing services counties. This will be done during the negotiations designed to provide the counties with guidance and direction. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will hold the negotiations with the counties between 27 October and 4 December.

According the draft government proposal for the health and social services reform, central government guidance and direction would cover annual negotiations with the wellbeing services counties, cooperation agreements for the collaborative catchment areas and a guidance procedure for investments, among others. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of the Interior would independently engage in annual strategic negotiations with the future wellbeing services counties to provide guidance and direction focusing on the organising duties of the counties. The Ministry of Finance would take part in the negotiations. 

The annual guidance and direction process would provide information for the preparation and monitoring of the Budget and the General Government Fiscal Plan, while at the same time contributing towards the attainment of the objectives established for general government finances. 

A total of five collaborative catchment areas would be created in Finland for the regional coordination, development and cooperation of healthcare and social welfare organised by the counties. Cooperation agreements for collaborative catchment areas would be drawn up by wellbeing services counties for every council term. The implementation of a cooperation agreement would be monitored annually in the negotiations between the responsible ministries and the wellbeing services counties of the collaborative catchment area. 

The negotiations to be held in autumn 2020 will be conducted in line with the draft legislative proposal put forward by the Government on 13 October. For the first time, the exercise will now also include negotiations with the five collaborative catchment areas, the four wellbeing services counties in Uusimaa and the City of Helsinki. This year the negotiations will focus on the organisation of healthcare and social welfare as well as rescue services. 

At the request of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare assessed the organisation of health and social services on a yearly basis. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare will publish the assessment reports by county during the autumn negotiations. 

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will publish a summary of the autumn 2020 negotiations in early 2021.

The negotiations will be conducted for the fourth time now. The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health carried out the first rehearsal negotiations as part of the simulation of county finances in February 2018.

Inquiries:

Kari Hakari, Director General, Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, tel. +358 295 163 642, [email protected]