Hamina assigns personal doctors to more than 19,000 patients
Monday 9th November 2026 on 16:31 in
Finland
More than 19,000 patients at Hamina’s health centre have been assigned a personal doctor, in a model that patients and staff say is off to a promising start, Yle reports.
The system began at the start of September. Patient Marja-Liisa Riikonen said she was pleased to have a named doctor again, after previously seeing a different doctor on each visit. She said having a doctor who knew her had made it possible to resolve many issues by phone.
Feedback at the health centre has been positive, and customer satisfaction has risen week by week, service manager Iina Hirvilahti said. Staff have also welcomed the model, according to chief physician Heidi Narkilahti. With a familiar doctor, patients do not need to explain their background at every appointment, she said.
The Kymenlaakso wellbeing services county is first testing the model in Hamina and at Kotkansaari health centre in Kotka. It plans to extend it across the region by the end of 2027. Other parts of Finland, including Pirkanmaa, also use the model. In Pirkanmaa, some patients have been selected for personal doctor and nurse teams because they are expected to benefit most.
At Hamina’s health centre, 11 doctor and nurse pairs each care for about 1,700 patients. Narkilahti said it would take more than two months for staff to get to know such a large group. The model’s aim is to improve continuity of care, which is among the weakest in the country in Kymenlaakso, according to the latest expert report from THL. Results are expected to take several years to become clear.
The model was previously used in Hamina but was discontinued about five years ago as practices were standardised across the former Kymenlaakso social and health services district. Patients are now assigned to doctors based on the first letter of their surname, rather than by area. They can request a different doctor, which staff recommend if the previous arrangement has changed.
Narkilahti said the model’s success also depends on retaining staff. She hopes Hamina can increase the number of permanent doctors and said the goal is to avoid both members of a doctor and nurse team leaving at the same time.