East Uusimaa to cut 320 person-years, consider clinic outsourcing

Itä-Uusimaa, a regional public healthcare authority, will reduce 320 person-years by the end of 2026 and is considering outsourcing either the Loviisa or Sipoo health centre to a private company, Yle reports.

The cuts are part of a 2026–2029 adjustment programme aimed at saving about 42 million euros. The authority wants to balance its finances by the end of 2031.

Of the 320 person-years, 220 will be eliminated and 100 will transfer to a new employer through outsourcing. The authority currently has about 2,900 person-years.

The outsourcing plan is still under review, and no final decision has been made. It may not go ahead if the authority can improve its own operations sufficiently, wellbeing services county director Max Lönnqvist said.

Most of the staff reductions have already been decided. They will be carried out through organisational reforms, lower staffing levels, the closure of services for older people and outsourcing.

Food services and cleaning were outsourced in May 2026, transferring 100 employees to a new employer without redundancies. The regional council approved the savings plan in December 2025 as part of the 2026 budget.

Lönnqvist said he hoped further staff reductions would not be needed, but added that uncertainty over future state funding could require the authority to reconsider the situation if there are significant changes.