Finnish wellbeing services counties face severe psychiatrist shortage

Finland’s wellbeing services counties are struggling to recruit psychiatrists, according to a survey by Yle. Pirkanmaa has a shortage of as many as 55 specialist psychiatrists, while around two-thirds of psychiatric posts in Lapland are unfilled.

North Savo has 26 vacant psychiatrist posts, Southwest Finland has fewer than 20, and several other wellbeing services counties report shortages of between four and 10 doctors. Not all counties responded to Yle’s survey.

HUS currently has a shortage of around 47 psychiatrists, according to Jesper Ekelund, director of its psychiatric division and chief medical officer. The senior doctors who recently announced their resignations account for only a small part of that shortfall. HUS has 47 open psychiatrist posts, representing about 15 percent of all positions.

The shortage began in the recession of the 1990s, when the number of medical training places was reduced. Psychiatrists are now retiring without enough replacements entering the profession. The private sector and companies supplying temporary doctors also attract staff away from public healthcare.

Ekelund said doctors can earn up to 50 percent more through temporary-doctor companies or in the private sector. In North Savo, vacant posts have had to be covered with purchased services, increasing the workload of doctors in outpatient care. In Lapland, temporary doctors are expensive and do not support continuity of care in the same way as permanent staff.

The shortage is affecting treatment. The legal treatment guarantee allows waiting times of up to six months, while psychiatric work in the public sector can be repetitive, according to the survey information.

Shortages vary across the country

In Helsinki’s social, health and rescue services, there is a small shortfall measured in person-years. Most psychiatric doctor positions are nevertheless filled, and the situation has improved in recent years. Helsinki also trains new specialists, and some specialist posts are reserved for doctors undergoing specialist training rather than fully qualified psychiatrists.

North Ostrobothnia has seven completely vacant posts and 14 posts filled by doctors in specialist training. Recruitment is particularly difficult for outpatient services and locations outside the university hospital. The shortage is not expected to ease because retirements are continuing and there are not enough applicants for specialist training.

In Satakunta, 40 percent of psychiatric posts are currently unfilled. The situation is considered reasonably good because of psychiatrists working through purchased services, although the region is seeking permanent doctors.

Southwest Finland has fewer than 20 posts without a doctor. Almost one specialist has retired each month over the past year, but the outlook is considered hopeful because new specialists, including some at docent level, are completing their training. New facilities at Kompassi Hospital and an artificial-intelligence transcription assistant due to start in December are being used to attract staff.

South Karelia has around four to five vacant psychiatrist posts. Positions are often filled partly by doctors undergoing specialist training or by general practitioners. The perceived heavy image of the profession and the distance from university cities make recruitment more difficult.

South Ostrobothnia has 13 open posts, covered through purchased services. The region says investment in recruitment and training has produced results, including recognition as a five-star training site by the Young Doctors’ Association for 2022–2024 and a Kandi-friendly workplace award from the Finnish Medical Students’ Association in 2025. Despite the vacancies, the overall situation is considered good compared with the rest of Finland.

Kymenlaakso has a shortage of 15 doctors, covered through purchased services. The region said the nationwide shortage and the different employment conditions for doctors working through companies complicate recruitment. The large number of statements required from psychiatrists and the concentration of specialist training in university hospitals also make it harder to recruit outside those hospitals.

South Savo has four to five vacant posts across the region. In child and adolescent psychiatry, all positions are filled.