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Effective and equitable social and health care services are built on decisions that rely on up‑to‑date and reliable information. The responsibility of the wellbeing services counties is to monitor the health and wellbeing of their populations and the functioning of the service system, and to compare their situation with other regions.
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) produces national comparative data for the wellbeing services counties, as well as diverse information on the functioning, economy and outcomes of social and health care services and the service system to support decision‑making.
The knowledge base of social and health care is actively developed in cooperation with the wellbeing services counties and national actors. The aim is to provide high‑quality information and easy‑to‑use tools for the management and development of the service system.
THL’s expert assessments support national steering and the development of services in the regions
THL has a statutory duty to annually assess the organisation of social and health care nationally, by collaborative area, and by wellbeing services county. The assessments cover all 21 wellbeing services counties, the City of Helsinki and the HUS Group.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the Ministry of Finance utilise THL’s expert assessments in the national steering of the social and health care system. The assessments also provide regions with essential information for planning and developing their operations. In its expert assessments, THL examines each region’s situation in relation to national objectives and the recommended measures issued to the wellbeing services counties. The assessments review service needs, and the current state and development of social and health care operations and finances.
The national expert assessment draws on the key findings of the wellbeing‑services‑county‑specific assessments, as well as other current regional and national reports and studies.
How are the expert assessments used?
The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health use THL’s expert assessments in the statutory annual negotiations with the wellbeing services counties under the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services.
The assessments are also used in exceptional procedures outside the regular annual steering cycle, such as additional funding processes and evaluation procedures.
The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health uses THL’s expert assessments in the annual nationwide report on the equitable implementation of social and health care and the adequacy of the level of funding.
The assessments can also be used in the general steering of social and health care and in the planning and development of the wellbeing services counties’ own operations
THL’s expert assessments also provide recommendations to the wellbeing services counties.
Read more about the expert assessments
The content of THL’s expert assessments is primarily defined by Section 30 of the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services.
The assessments examine:
- the wellbeing and health status of the population by population group
- the development and projected future development of the need, availability, quality, effectiveness and equity of social and health care
- the coordination of clients’ services
- the need for and impacts of investments in social and health care
- factors related to the social and health care workforce and its utilisation
- the costs of social and health care, their development and productivity
- measures necessary to achieve the objectives set for the organisation of social and health care.
THL also considers the thematic areas referred to in Section 24 of the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services, which are addressed in the annual negotiations between the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and the wellbeing services counties.
In addition, the assessments examine the organisation of social and health care in relation to the national objectives for the duties of the wellbeing services counties.
The knowledge base for the assessment consists of:
- indicator data, primarily accessed through the SAO service and Sotkanet
- studies and reports published by THL and other expert organisations
- reports produced by supervisory authorities on the equitable implementation of social and health care in the wellbeing services counties
- reports produced by the wellbeing services counties on the state of social and health care and finances in accordance with the Act on Organising Healthcare and Social Welfare Services
- regional documents such as strategic plans, change programmes, annual reports and financial statements, decision records and audit reports.
Close dialogue between THL’s experts and regional specialists complements and deepens the interpretation of the situational picture.
Strategic leadership of the assessment function: Leading Specialist Nina Knape
Process management and development of the assessment function: Senior Specialist Nella Savolainen
Regional assessment responsibilities
Southern Finland Collaborative Area
City of Helsinki, Central Uusimaa, Vantaa and Kerava, HUS Group: Assessment Manager Hannele Ridanpää
East Uusimaa, Kymenlaakso, Päijät‑Häme, South Karelia: Assessment Manager Pasi Oksanen
West Uusimaa: Assessment Manager Taru Syrjänen
Eastern Finland Collaborative Area
North Savo, Central Finland, South Savo, North Karelia: Assessment Manager Tuulikki Louet‑Lehtoniemi
Inland Finland Collaborative Area
Pirkanmaa, Kanta‑Häme, South Ostrobothnia: Assessment Manager Taru Syrjänen
Western Finland Collaborative Area
Southwest Finland, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia: Assessment Manager Vesa Syrjä
Northern Finland Collaborative Area
North Ostrobothnia, Central Ostrobothnia, Kainuu, Lapland: Assessment Manager Jaana Leipälä
THL published the expert assessments reviewing 2024 and partially 2025 in October 2025.
Links to 2025 reports
THL has published national and regional expert assessments on the organisation of social and health care since 2018. Older reports are available in the Julkari archive.
The conclusions of the expert assessments for bilingual wellbeing services counties are also available in Swedish. The conclusions of Lapland’s assessment are available in three Sámi languages. The national expert assessment will also be available in Swedish and English at the end of November.
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Client feedback on social and health care services
In cooperation with wellbeing services counties, THL collects feedback on social and health care services.
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Newsletter on social and health care leadership
Subscribe to the newsletter on social and health care leadership to receive national and regional comparative information on the social and health care system, insights derived from the data, and perspectives on future development. Published four times a year.