Last update: Oktober 2013 

EPSO Contact person Riitta Aejmelaeus       

1.    COUNTRY/REGION: Finland

Website of the supervisory organisation: www.valvira.fi   

Is this website in English or partly in English? Yes....Partly in English .............................

Contactperson(s)

Name and function....Riitta Aejmelaeus, ...Senior Medical Officer

Address:Box 210, FI-00531 HELSINKI,FINLAND..................................................

Email....riitta.aejmelaeus@valvira.fi .................................................................................

Telephone number ...+358-295209431

Mobile phone +.358-505509703............................

2.    THE STRUCTURE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)

o   The Head of the Supervisory Organisation (name and function) ..

o   General Director, Ms Marja-Liisa Partanen..............................................................................

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; number of hospitals or health institutions under supervision.”

Please, see www.valvira.fi..........................................................................................................

Number of people working in the organisation .....154 .................................

Other relevant information about the Supervisory Organisation in your

country or region ..................................................................................

Please, see www.valvira.fi.......................................................

Relation with the Department of Health.....Valvira is an independent Authority under the Ministry of Health and Social Wellfare..........................................

Web address.....www.valvira.fi................................................

3.       THE SCOPE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION(s)

Is there supervision on health care in general? ..........YES..............................

Is there supervision on hospitals?.........YES..................................................

Is there supervision on other health care institutions like nursing homes/

convalescent homes? ........YES................................................................

Is there supervision on the production and the use of medicines?

NO...........................................................................................................

Is there a supervisory relation with health care professionals? YES

If yes, what kind of relation?.....Guidance based on evaluation of appropriateness of activities of individual hc professional’s and hc organisation’s. Valvira is also authorized to give sanctions and take away professional rights if necessary .........................................................

Other relevant information about the scope of the supervisory organisation.

4.    METHODS OF INSPECTATION OR SUPERVISION

What methods of inspection or supervision are used in your country/region? Complaints from the public, statements asked by other authorities, own initiatives of information gathering from HC and SC organisations ie. both reactive and proactive measures are used

For additional information see also www.valvira.fi .

o   Other information about the methods of inspection in your country /region

Actual inspections are very rare but possible even urgently if necessary

5.   WHAT IS THE COMPETENCE OF THE SUPERVISORY ORGANISATION IN YOUR COUNTRY?

Is the supervisory organisation entitled to use compulsory measures

(sanction/repression/enforcement)?........YES.................................................................

Is the supervisory organisation entitled to take precautions and implement measures to prevent accidents or incidents? ....YES.......................................

Does the supervisory organisation have the authority to close institutions

or stop non proper healthcare?....YES..............................................................

Is the supervisory organisation allowed to interfere in other ways?.....YES.......

If yes, in what way? ....... Give guidance and sanctions to individual health professionals and health and social welfare organisations , report to other authorities etc......

Also proactive methods are used.............................................................

Other relevant information about the competence of the supervisory organisation.............

Valvira is authorized and competent to evaluate any activity of health care professionals and organisations, both private and public