Insufficient levels of personnel in school and student health care – situation slightly better for maternity and child health clinics
School health care and upper-level student health care suffered from a serious shortage of personnel in proportion to need last year. Maternity and child health clinics were also understaffed, but the situation there was nevertheless better than in school and student health care.
The information is based on a national follow-up by THL in 2020. Some of the results were reported as areas marked by the boundaries of the upcoming Wellbeing Services Counties.
According to the follow-up, there was variation in the numbers of personnel and in the availability of services in different areas in the coronavirus year. This put customers in an unequal position with respect to access to necessary support and assistance.
Of the upcoming Wellbeing Services Counties, Central Uusimaa was the only area where the volume of personnel was seen to be very good or good in school health care and upper-level student health care. In maternity and child health clinics the situation was significantly better in all areas.
“The result is not surprising because many employees were transferred from school and student health care to tasks related to the coronavirus pandemic, such as vaccinations and tracing”, says Johanna Jahnukainen, Development Director at THL
Variation in readiness for remote services
About 40 percent of health centres believe that readiness to offer remote services was very good or fairly good. The same proportion of health centres reported that readiness was fairly poor or very poor.
The results of the follow-up reflected the difficult situation raised by previous studies; preventative services have been scaled back during the coronavirus period, even though the needs for support for children, young people, and families have grown.
“Service debt is an inevitable result when the allocation of personnel is insufficient for meeting the needs for support for children, young people, and families. This debt will have to be paid by the future Wellbeing Services Counties”, observes Tuovi Hakulinen, Research Manager at THL.
THL collected information from health centres from the coronavirus period of 2020 as part of a national follow-up on maternity and child health clinic services, and school and student health care services (NEKOS 2021). Responding to the survey were 118 health centres. The response rate was 88 percent.
Further information:
Johanna Jahnukainen
Development Director
THL
+358 29 524 8032
Tuovi Hakulinen
Research Manager
THL
+358 29 524 7109
Marke Hietanen-Peltola
Head Physician
THL
+358 29 524 7294
