Tesoma cuts healthcare queues through shared service model
Wednesday 30th September 2026 on 13:00 in
Finland
Tampere’s Tesoma district has shortened healthcare queues and improved long-term disease outcomes through a shared-service model, Yle reported. The district, once known for social problems and poor health statistics, has also seen improved safety and less social exclusion.
New homes and commercial premises have been built in Tesoma, attracting new residents. The neighbourhood is about eight kilometres west of central Tampere.
A regeneration project launched in the early 2000s revamped housing and local services. Pekka Salmi, now Tampere’s director of economic development, said Tesoma had declined after being a busy commercial centre in the 1990s and had become run-down.
A key part of the change has been the Tesoma wellbeing centre, which has operated for nearly a decade. Its services bring together public bodies, a private healthcare company and a non-profit organisation: the Pirkanmaa wellbeing services county, Tampere city, Mehiläinen and Setlementti Tampere.
The centre operates through an alliance model, with the partners sharing a budget. Mehiläinen coordinates operations and provides services including the health centre and adult dental care. The city runs the library and youth facilities, while Setlementti Tampere operates a community cafe.
The cafe, which does not require customers to make a purchase, attracts 250 to 300 people each day. Long-time resident Kari Helander said he visits regularly and has heard from others that they can get an appointment at the health centre quickly.
The partners began the trial in 2016 to improve the impact of public spending. The current contract runs until 2028, when the wellbeing services county will decide whether to continue the model. Mehiläinen manager Marko Helenius said treatment outcomes for long-term illnesses had improved, queues were short and the centre had performed well financially.
The centre also connects healthcare visitors with community activities if, for example, a doctor identifies loneliness. Young people are offered access to therapy within a week of contacting the service. The Pirkanmaa wellbeing services county is due to assess the model’s effects this autumn.