THL reports on the availability of treatment in statistics on access to primary healthcare and specialised healthcare
The data on primary healthcare and specialised healthcare are reported according to the realisation of the maximum time periods for access to treatment specified in the Health Care Act. The maximum time periods are deadlines during which non-urgent care must be provided in public healthcare.
The statistics on the maximum waiting time for access to therapy are based on the maximum time periods in the organisation of mental health services and support for children and young people specified in the Health Care Act and the Social Welfare Act. An intervention within the maximum waiting time for access to therapy can take place at any stage of the care or service process.
Reporting on the continuity of care is based on the continuity of the care relationship between the patient and the healthcare professional.
Access to treatment in primary healthcare varied by age group and region – access to treatment for persons aged under 23 years declined
In 2025, it was less common to have access to treatment within two weeks than in the previous year. Especially getting a doctor's appointment in primary healthcare within 14 days was more difficult.
In 2025, access to treatment also declined for those under the age of 23, even though they should have continued to have access to treatment within 14 days. In particular, there were also differences between wellbeing services counties in access to treatment for children and young people.
There are several maximum time periods for access to treatment in non-urgent primary healthcare and the length of the time period varies for patients of different ages. For example, as of 1 January 2025, the maximum time periods for the first care event were extended from 14 days to three months for those aged 23 or over, but the maximum times for those younger than this remained unchanged.
The statutory longer maximum time period for those aged 23 or over was realised better than the shorter maximum time period of 14 days for those younger than that.
A dentist’s appointment was realised better for those aged 23 or over
In oral healthcare, the statutory longer maximum time period for those aged 23 or over was realised better than the shorter maximum time period for those younger than that. The extension of the maximum time periods from the beginning of 2025 does not seem to have significantly slowed down access to treatment within the statutory maximum time period in oral healthcare.
As from 1 January 2025, the maximum time periods for the first non-urgent care event in primary oral healthcare were extended from three months to six months for patients aged 23 or over. For patients under the age of 23, the maximum period remained unchanged, three months.
Read more about access to treatment in primary healthcare
In specialised health care, the largest numbers of those waiting in 2025 were for cataract surgery and hip or knee replacement surgery
Access to specialised health care is monitored for 27 different procedures. In terms of numbers, at the end of 2025 the largest numbers of those waiting for care were for cataract surgery, over 16,000 persons, and for hip or knee replacement surgery, over 10,000 persons.
For the monitored procedures belonging to queue groups of different procedures, the same monthly variation in the number of those waiting in 2025 can be seen as in other statistics on access to specialised health care.
At the beginning of 2025, 14.7 per cent of all those waiting had waited over half a year, and this decreased towards the end of the year to 12.7 per cent of all those waiting.
The number of those waiting over three months for specialised mental health services for children and young people varies by region
In January 2025, there were 1,337 persons waiting, of which 27% had waited over 90 days. In December 2025, there were 1,303 persons waiting, of which 18% had waited over 90 days.
The number of those waiting over three months varied by wellbeing services county. At the national level, in 2025 there were nearly 190 fewer persons/patients waiting over three months than in 2024.
Read more about access to treatment in specialised healthcare
The act on the Mental Health Access Guarantee entered into force on 1 May 2025.
The statistics on the Mental Health Access Guarantee are based on the maximum time limits for organising mental health services and support for children and young people as laid down in the Health Care Act and the Social Welfare Act. An intervention within the Mental Health Access Guarantee can take place at any stage of the care or service process.
The act on the Mental Health Access Guarantee for children and young people entered into force on 1 May 2025. The objective of the act is to improve the prevention of mental disorders among children and young people, access to treatment in primary healthcare and access to support in primary social welfare services.
Mental health access guarantee requires that children and young people under the age of 23 must have access to certain services supporting mental health in primary healthcare within 28 days and in social welfare within 30 days from the date when the need was established.
Monitoring of the implementation of the Mental Health Access guarantee
The implementation of the Mental Health Access Guarantee in primary health care is monitored on the basis of data accumulated in the Avohilmo register. THL reports on them nationally as data are supplemented.
The coverage of the data is expected to improve during 2026. It is estimated that within a few years, data on primary healthcare will be obtained from all wellbeing services counties.
The reporting of social welfare data will begin later when the implementation of the Kanta Services progresses. The first social welfare data is estimated to be available from 2027.
Read more about the Mental Health Access Guarantee for children and young people
Statistics on the continuity of care will be developed in the coming years
THL monitors the continuity of care on the basis of the data in the Care register for health care (Terveys-Hilmo) and Register of primary health care visits (Avohilmo). The statistics describe the average continuity of the care relationship between the patient and the professional on the basis of care events in publicly organised primary healthcare.
The continuity of care in primary healthcare has been found to be linked to results such as better treatment outcomes, customer satisfaction, lower costs of treatment and lower use of specialised healthcare.
In future, the statistics will be developed to describe the continuity of care more extensively than before.
Realisation of continuity of care
Indicator data on the continuity of care is published annually. The latest statistical report was published on the 2022 data.
More information
- Measuring the continuity of care in outpatient care in primary healthcare (Julkari) (in Finnish)
- Personal doctor programme: Aiming for better availability and continuity of care (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health) (link in Finnish)
- Submission of care notification data in healthcare
- Recommendation on monitoring the continuity of care – THL (in Finnish)
Next publications on the topic
For the publication schedule for statistical reports compiling annual data, go to the publication calendar.
Publication calendar (add link)
The latest statistical reports and current information can be found in the database reports available on the tabs.
Contact information
Access to primary healthcare: Tiina Marttila and Raimo Mahkonen. Any enquiries should primarily be sent to the shared email address avohilmo(at)thl.fi.
Access to specialised healthcare: Pia Paasela. Any enquiries should primarily be sent to the shared email address terveyshilmo(at)thl.fi.
Access to therapy: Aamu Klutas.
Continuity of care: Sara Launio.
Email addresses: [email protected]