Finland's Ministry of Social Affairs and Health reports its project to control temporary staffing costs is progressing as planned. The initiative aims to create national contracting models for temporary healthcare workers across welfare regions.
A steering group established clear guidelines defining maximum rates for doctors and nurses. The model also addresses medical student employment practices.
Pilot programs will test the framework before full implementation. Regional governments will formally adopt the system through official decisions.
Health and Social Services Minister Kaisa Juuso stated the project establishes common rules and predictable pricing for welfare regions. She emphasized this supports ongoing reduction of temporary staff usage and declining labor cost shares. The goal is permanent risk management rather than temporary solutions.
Temporary staff usage has dropped substantially in welfare regions over the past year. Temporary workers accounted for 4.4% of total labor costs in 2024, projected to fall to 2-3% this year.
Costs are expected to drop below €400 million in 2025, representing over €200 million in savings. Specialized healthcare shows highest temporary staffing costs at €150 million, while primary care has the highest proportion at 7%.
The cost containment project runs from May 2025 through May 2026 with €600,000 in government funding.
Steering group chair Santeri Seppälä explained the model combines national price ceilings, clear contract terms and regional commitments. This enables comparable, cost-effective decisions about temporary staffing.
This systematic approach addresses Finland's long-standing reliance on expensive temporary healthcare workers, though implementation challenges remain across different regions.