EPSO contact person: Eve Pilt
1. COUNTRY/REGION: Estonia
Website of the supervisory organisation: www.terviseamet.ee
Is this website in English or partly in English? Yes/No...(only very brief information in english)
Contactperson(s)
o Name and function.MIHHAIL MUZÕTŠIN, Deputy Director (supervision)
Address....................HIIU str 42 Tallinn..11619 , ESTONIA...........................................................
Email...................mihhail.muzotsin @terviseamet.ee...............................................
Telephone number ..+3726943703........Mobile phone ....+37253423670..................
o Name and function....................EVE PILT.., Adviser................................................................
Address............... HIIU str 42 Tallinn..11619 , ESTONIA............................................................
Email........................eve.pilt@terviseamet.ee....................................................................................
Telephone number .............+3726943722..............Mobile phone .......+3725511742.....................
2. THE STRUCTURE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)
o The Head of the Supervisory Organisation (name and function) ....TIIU ARO, Director General..................................................................................
o Size of the Supervisory Organisation:
Number of inspections/supervisions or number of inspectors or number of full time equivalents of people working in the organisation; total number of hospitals is 69:
12 specialized hospitals, 29 long-term care hospitals, 4 central hospitals, 3 regional hospitals, 4 rehabilitation hospitals, 11 general hospitals.
1020 family physician, 25 ambulance service providers...etc.............................................................
................................................................................................................
Number of people working in the Health Board responsible for supervision:
......staff of Supervisory Department: 9 persons. + 1 Deputy Director who is in charge of exercising supervision
......staff of Health Care Department (for example including staff responsible for registering legal entities and physical persons providing health care services – 5 persons, staff of emergency medicine division – 5 persons, staff of medical devices division -3 persons) consists of 44 persons + 1 Deputy Director in charge of these activities..........................................................................................................
o Other relevant information about the Supervisory Organisation in your
country or region
o Relation with the Department of Health....Independent Governmental Authority..........................................
o Web address......www.terviseamet.ee...............................................
3. THE SCOPE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)
o Is there supervision on health care in general? ...yes.....................................
o Is there supervision on hospitals?...................yes........................................
o Is there supervision on other health care institutions like nursing homes/
convalescent homes? ..................yes......................................................
o Is there supervision on the production and the use of medicines?
........there is separaty governmental authority (State Agency of Medicines) which is the supervisor on the production of medicines. The Health Board is in charge of supervising how health care professionals prescribe medicines and if it is adherent to relevant regulations ...................................................................................................
o Is there a supervisory relation with health care professionals?
If yes, what kind of relation?.....yes, supervision is exercised over legal entities who are providing health care services and individually over health care professionals ..........................................................
o Other relevant information about the scope of the supervisory organisation.
................the Health Board is in charge of two registers: 1) National register of health care professionals
2) register of activity licences issued for the provision of one or several health services............................................................................................
3) Health Board exercises supervision over the activities of providers of general medical care, providers of emergency medical care, providers of specialised medical care and independent providers of nursing and midwifery care and over compliance with the requirements provided for health care providers with Health services organisation act and rulings of the Minister of Social Affairs based on the act.
4. METHODS OF INSPECTATION OR SUPERVISION
o What methods of inspection or supervision are used in your country/region? Announced and non-announced control visits at sites, self reporting systems, interview, inquiry, periodical renewal of activity licences...
o Other information about the methods of inspection in your country /region
5. WHAT IS THE COMPETENCE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION IN YOUR COUNTRY?
o Is the supervisory organisation entitled to use compulsory measures
(sanction/repression/enforcement)?.........yes...........................................................
o Is the supervisory organisation entitled to take precautions and implement measures to prevent accidents or incidents? ...........................................
...............................yes...............................................................................
o Does the supervisory organisation have the authority to close institutions
or stop non proper healthcare?.................................................................. ......................................yes............................................................................
o Is the supervisory organisation allowed to interfere in other ways?............
......................................yes...........................................................................................
If yes, in what way? ....to stop temporarily registration of the health care professionals in state registry
..or in the case of non-compliance with Health services organisation act revoke activity licences as hold in section 48 of the act[1]..........................................................................................................
o Other relevant information about the competence of the supervisory organisation.................................................................................................
6. INTERESTING ONGOING DEVELOPMENTS IN YOUR COUNTRY/REGION
Currently is a period for drafting legislation to enable Health Board by 2013 to take over registration and supervision of general practitioners. Currently general practitioners are supervised by county governors . The reason for this change is that in many cases County Governor offices lack expertise in this field.
Estonia is also drafting legislation in order to comply with directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 march 2011 on the application of patients` rights in cross-boarder health care. Health Board is participating in this process.
