Diabetes care in Satakunta to be restructured amid patient group concerns

Major changes to diabetes treatment in Finland’s Satakunta region will centralise specialised care in Pori and Rauma, raising concerns among patient advocates while health authorities promise improved quality.

From autumn, patients with complex diabetes—primarily type 1 and severe type 2 cases—will receive treatment at new specialist units in Pori and Rauma, the Satakunta Wellbeing Services County announced. Less complex type 2 diabetes care will shift to general health stations, ending the current system where all adult patients in the Pori area were treated at the Maantiekatu diabetes clinic.

The Pori Region Diabetics Association has warned the reform risks uneven care for so-called “easier-to-treat” patients. Chair Tuomas Zacheus stressed that inadequate treatment can lead to severe complications—blindness, amputations, and kidney failure—with prevention being far more cost-effective than managing advanced conditions. He also criticised the lack of early patient involvement, noting that many first learned of the changes through rumours.

Satakunta’s health authorities dismissed the concerns, insisting the centralisation will enhance care quality by integrating specialist expertise into primary healthcare. “Basic diabetes knowledge is part of every doctor’s training,” said Simo Rehunen, director of social and healthcare centre services, adding that patients will be informed well before implementation.

The shift aligns with existing practices elsewhere in the region, where less complex cases are already handled at health stations. Paediatric diabetes care will remain centralised in specialised healthcare.