Central Finland wellbeing services region ends volunteer defibrillator programme after regulatory warning

The Central Finland wellbeing services region has been ordered to stop using volunteer-led defibrillator response teams after receiving a rare formal reprimand from the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira), reports Yle.

Valvira ruled that the region’s collaboration with village associations—where trained volunteers assisted in emergency cardiac response—violated healthcare legislation. The authority stated that such arrangements do not meet the legal requirements for private healthcare providers, even when supporting public emergency services.

The programme, which deployed 160 volunteers across 22 local defibrillator groups, was designed to improve response times in remote areas. However, emergency services chief Anssi Aunola confirmed the region will terminate the partnership, noting that volunteers had only reached a patient before professional responders in one documented case. “Authorities are always alerted first,” Aunola clarified.

Volunteer groups may continue operating independently in their communities, such as providing event safety, but will no longer be dispatched for medical emergencies. The decision follows Valvira’s assessment that public healthcare providers cannot legally rely on untrained or unlicensed personnel for critical care tasks.