You can contact a Social and Patient Ombudsperson if you are dissatisfied with the care, treatment or service you have received, or if you need advice on your rights in health and social services or early childhood education and care.
Social and Patient Ombudsperson:
- Advises and guides in matters related to the application of the Act on the Status and Rights of Social Welfare Clients, the Act on the Status and Rights of Patient and the Act on Early Childhood Education and Care.
- Advises and, if necessary, assists the client, patient, or their legal representative in filing an objection.
- Advises on the proper procedures and authorities for raising objections, filing complaints, handling patient injury matters, and claiming for damages, among other matters related to the patient's and client's legal rights in healthcare, social welfare, or early childhood education services.
- Informs about the rights of clients and patients.
- Gathers information about the contacts made by clients and patients and monitors the development of the rights and status of clients and patients.
- Promotes the rights of clients and patients in other ways.
Importantly, the Social and Patient Ombudspersons remain impartial, refraining from making judgments on medical treatments or personnel actions. The services provided by the Social and Patient Ombudspersons are entirely free of charge.
The City of Helsinki organises the Social and Patient Ombudspersons' services for public and private health and social services, occupational healthcare, and early childhood education.
Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) maintain their own distinct Patient Ombudspersons.
The government organises the Patient Ombudspersons' services in the state psychiatric hospitals, the health care of the Finnish Defence Forces and Prisoner's health care.
The Finnish Institute of Occupational Health organises the activities of Patient Ombudspersons in the health and medical care services it produces.