Patient transfers raise concerns in Finland’s welfare regions amid hospital bed shortages

In Finland, the current issue of patient transfers to care facilities in other municipalities is compounding as welfare regions grapple with a shortage of hospital beds and the increasing need for specialized care. This situation often results in patients being relocated long distances from their home municipalities, posing significant challenges in emergency care. The reduction in hospital beds intended for cost-saving measures has exacerbated the situation, potentially undermining patient safety.

The welfare regions are individually assessing emergency care needs; however, transfers to distant units are necessary when local facilities reach capacity or when specialized treatment is required. For instance, the director of emergency services in the Varsinais-Suomi welfare area, Sirpa Rantanen, notes that it is common for patients from Uusikaupunki to be sent 120 kilometers away to Saloon for care.

In Kainuu, patient transfers have been common for over a decade, even before the establishment of welfare regions. Emergency department leader Sami Mäenpää mentions their flexible use of available hospital beds, yet local facilities often reach capacity, prompting transfers to neighboring municipalities. For example, the journey from Kajaani to Kuhmo is about 100 kilometers.

Meanwhile, concerns over patient safety are rising, especially in the Pohjanmaa region where the number of patients awaiting transfer can critically strain care standards. Medical leader Taneli Väyrynen acknowledges that the pressure from cost-saving measures keeps this crisis alive, while a similar phenomenon has not been recognized in the Päijät-Häme area.

Significantly, enhancing services for the elderly is seen as essential to mitigating emergency department crowding, with innovative solutions such as home care and digital services being implemented in Päijät-Häme to address these challenges.