NordenBladet — The new Client and Patient Safety Strategy and its Implementation Plan for 2022–2026 have been published. The vision of the Strategy is to make Finland a model country for client and patient safety in 2026 and to prevent avoidable harm.The new Strategy and its Implementation Plan will promote inclusion, measures that strengthen safety, and the management of safety culture in Finland. The aim is to introduce recommendations based on the best research data so that they will benefit professionals, patients and clients in all organisations at all levels of operation.Safety is built in a systematic manner through cooperation The Strategy and its Implementation Plan have been prepared for the use of healthcare and social welfare professionals, the actors leading and supervising the activities, political decision-makers and clients, patients and their families. The Strategy is intended for both public and private operators in the healthcare and social welfare sector.The Strategy has the following four strategic priorities: together with clients and patients, thriving and competent professionals, safety first in all organisations, and improving what already exists. There are three objectives under each priority, and achieving these objectives will concretely promote the realisation of client and patient safety. Achieving these objectives requires determined efforts from all healthcare and social welfare professionals and organisations.Ten key indicators have been selected to monitor the achievement of the objectives. These indicators will commit Finland to the objectives set by the World Health Organization (WHO Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030). The Implementation Plan describes the indicators for monitoring the implementation of measures. Strategy is a continuation of previous work on client and patient safetyThe Strategy was prepared in a number of workshops, working groups and steering groups. The Finnish Centre for Client and Patient Safety supported the preparation of the Strategy in practice. The expertise of a wide range of different stakeholders was utilised during the preparation phase. Finland has promoted client and patient safety by means of national-level strategic guidance since 2009 when the first National Patient Safety Strategy was published.
NordenBladet — The EU is making progress with the preparation of corporate social responsibility legislation. Today, the Commission published a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence. Next, the Commission proposal will be discussed by the EU Member States and the European Parliament. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will organise a stakeholder event regarding the proposal on 9 March 2022. Stakeholders’ views will be taken into account in the formulation of Finland’s positions.On 23 February 2022, the European Commission published a proposal for a Directive on corporate sustainability due diligence, or the European Union’s corporate social responsibility legislation. The objective of EU-level CSR regulation is to promote respect for human rights and the transition towards a carbon neutral economy. Another objective is to provide a level playing field and legal certainty for businesses operating in the European Union.“Finland welcomes the Commission’s proposal and will actively participate in the negotiations concerning the contents of the law. It is important to have CSR regulation in place, and the Government wants to actively work towards this goal both within the EU and nationally. We will now begin to formulate Finland’s positions on the Commission’s proposal,” says Minister of Employment Tuula Haatainen.This is the first proposal for general corporate social responsibility legislation at the EU level. The Commission feels that voluntary actions taken by companies have failed to generate a sufficiently positive impact on a larger scale. The Commission proposes that a due diligence obligation be imposed on companies. The proposal sets out a corporate due diligence duty to identify, prevent, bring to an end, mitigate and account for adverse human rights and environmental impacts in the company’s own operations, its subsidiaries and their value chains. Companies will also be required to monitor the effectiveness of their due diligence measures.Adverse impacts may include restrictions on employee freedom of association or toxic discharges into the environment. The proposed directive would also contain provisions on the legal consequences to companies of any breaches of CSR legislation. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment to organise a stakeholder event on the EU’s CSR legislationThe Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is responsible for preparing Finland’s position. The standard preparation procedure will be followed when formulating Finland’s position on the Commission’s proposal. A broad range of stakeholders will be consulted during the preparation process. The Government and Parliament will jointly decide on Finland’s position.The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment will organise a virtual event on Wednesday 9 March at 9.30-11.30 to consult stakeholders on the Commission’s proposal. If you would like to participate, please sign up by 7 March via the Webropol link.EU-level discussion of the Commission’s proposal will continue in the European Parliament and between the Member States in the Competitiveness Council. Need for national CSR legislation to be assessedAs the EU-level CSR legislation is being drafted, Finland is preparing to draft national CSR legislation based on the Government Programme. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has been working on a memorandum concerning the due diligence obligation. The memorandum, which will be published in March, analyses various perspectives on the CSR regulation. The national preparations and advocacy work on the EU-level CSR legislation support each other.
NordenBladet — On Tuesday 22 February, based on an overall assessment of the security situation in Ukraine, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs decided to relocate its staff temporarily from Kyiv to Lviv.Finland has previously reduced the number of employees posted to work at the Embassy of Kyiv. Locally employed staff of the Embassy will continue to work in Kyiv, as appropriate. They have been offered the opportunity to leave the city.The Embassy will continue its operations under special arrangements. Customer services are reduced and available only can by appointment. In an emergency, those staying in Ukraine can contact the Foreign Ministry’s 24/7 Service Centre by phone to +358916055555, [email protected] or by email. In accordance with its travel advice, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs urges people to leave Ukraine immediately.
NordenBladet — EU foreign ministers will discuss, among other things, the sanctions on Russia after it recognised the independence of the separatist regions of Donetsk and Luhansk.EU foreign ministers will meet in Paris for an informal Foreign Affairs Ministers’ meeting to discuss the changed security situation in Europe. Finland’s representative at the meeting will be Minister for Foreign Affairs Pekka Haavisto. Finland condemns Russia’s unilateral acts that violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. The recognition of the separatist regions in Eastern Ukraine is a serious breach of the Minsk Agreements. Finland will respond to Russia’s actions as part of the European Union. In its statement, the EU condemned Russia’s decision to recognise the regions’ independence and stated that the EU will respond by imposing sanctions. Due to the EU meeting, Foreign Minister Haavisto’s meeting with UK Foreign Minister Truss was cancelled.
NordenBladet — The responsibility for organising healthcare and social services will be transferred to the wellbeing services counties at the beginning of next year. For this reason, amendments of mainly technical nature are proposed to two acts. The proposals sent out for comments would enable the compensation of integration costs to the wellbeing services counties and would define the responsibility for organising accommodation for unaccompanied children.The responsibility for organising health and social services will be transferred from municipalities to wellbeing services counties at the beginning of 2023. For this reason, amendments must be made to the Act on Multisectoral Joint Services Promoting Employment (hereinafter, the TYP Act) and the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration (hereinafter, the Integration Act). The TYP Act lays down provisions on a cooperation model for the TE Office, municipality and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland (Kela). Those involved in the cooperation model coordinate the public employment services that they are responsible for as well as health, social welfare and rehabilitation services in accordance with the unemployed person’s service needs. In multisectoral joint services promoting employment, municipality is the authority responsible for social and health services. According to the proposal, the TYP Act would be amended so that wellbeing services counties would become the authority responsible for health and social services in the cooperation model. Municipalities would continue to appoint the managers of multidisciplinary joint services. Technical amendments clarifying the role of the wellbeing services counties are also proposed to the Integration Act.Compensation for integration costs to municipalities and wellbeing services countiesUnder the Integration Act, the State will compensate to municipalities for the costs incurred in promoting integration defined in the Act. These include the costs for providing social and healthcare services organised by the municipality, for example. The Government proposes that the Integration Act be amended to allow the wellbeing services counties to apply for compensation for the costs of organising healthcare and social welfare referred to in Chapter 6 of the Act as of 2023. However, municipalities could apply for compensation for the healthcare and social welfare costs they have incurred by the end of 2022 retroactively in 2023 and 2024 as laid down in the Act. In addition, municipalities could continue to receive compensation for the statutory costs of promoting integration.Wellbeing services counties to assume new task for organising family group home servicesUnder the Integration Act, the care and upbringing of children and young persons, who have arrived in Finland unaccompanied, is organised in a family group home, through supported family placement or in some other appropriate manner. In addition, the Act lays down provisions on appointing a representative of an unaccompanied minor who has moved to Finland. The operation of family group homes is based on the Integration Act and is therefore not considered part of social welfare services at the moment. However, family group home activities closely resemble social welfare in terms of their content. The bill therefore proposes that responsibility for supporting unaccompanied minors and arranging accommodation for them, e.g. in family group homes, be transferred from municipalities to wellbeing services counties. Currently, there are family group homes in about ten municipalities, so the new task is not expected to significantly increase the responsibilities of the wellbeing services counties. The wellbeing services counties would receive full compensation from the State for the costs arising from these duties. The Act would also contain provisions on the right of access to information and on the transfer of agreements and personnel.Proposed amendments to be sent out for commentsThe deadline for submitting comments on the proposed legislative amendments is 5 April 2022. The government proposal is due to be submitted to Parliament in May 2022. The intention is for the amendments to enter into force at the beginning of 2023. The Government is also preparing comprehensive reforms of both Acts, which are due to be circulated for comments later in spring 2022. These Acts are due to be submitted to Parliament in autumn 2022, and they are set to enter into force in 2024.
NordenBladet — On 22 February, the Government’s Ministerial Working Group on Coordinating COVID-19 Response received an update on the epidemiological situation. The Ministerial Working Group proposes that changes be made to the restrictions on food and beverage service businesses and the amendments made to the Health Insurance Act be extended. The proposal for measures to improve safety at work during the COVID-19 epidemic will be circulated for comments.The COVID-19 epidemic caused by the Omicron variant is declining in Europe. The total number of COVID-19 cases in Finland continues to fall, but the epidemiological situation still varies considerably from one region to another. The need for hospital care has remained high in many regions, but the burden on intensive care is lower than during the previous peaks of the epidemic. Vaccination coverage in Finland is good, particularly among older age groups. Recently, the increase in vaccination coverage has, however, slowed down considerably. Vaccinations continue to provide effective protection against the most serious forms of COVID-19, and they clearly reduce the risk of being hospitalised or dying from the COVID-19 disease.The Ministerial Working Group stresses that COVID-safe behaviour plays an even bigger role as society reopens. Getting vaccinated is important in the current situation.Restaurant restrictions to be lifted, hygiene requirements to remain in force The Ministerial Working Group proposes that the requirements concerning the opening and licensing hours, customer capacity and seating arrangements of food and beverage service businesses be lifted as of 1 March. The general hygiene requirement for food and beverage service businesses would remain in force in all regions until 31 March. If the burden on hospitals were to increase considerably, it would be necessary to reconsider restrictions on food and beverage service businesses. Proposal for measures to improve safety at work during the COVID-19 epidemic to be circulated for comments The Ministerial Working Group proposes that the proposal of the relevant tripartite working group for temporarily amending the Occupational Safety and Health Act be sent out for comments.The working group’s proposal covers a wide range of issues related to working life, so the Ministerial Working Group considers it necessary to circulate the proposal for comments. Because the proposal concerns the processing of personal data, it is also necessary to consult the Data Protection Ombudsman before a possible government proposal can be issued. After the consultation round, the issuance of the proposal and its validity period will be assessed, taking into account the prevailing epidemiological situation. Amendments to the Health Insurance Act to remain in force The Ministerial Working Group proposes that the temporary amendments made to the Health Insurance Act due to the COVID-19 epidemic remain in force until 30 June 2022. The temporary derogations from the Unemployment Security Act would remain in force until 28 February.
NordenBladet — Funding for the health sector has developed and strengthened, but the Finnish funding environment is about to fall short of the reference countries, according to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment publication “Report on the development of the health sector funding environment” published on 21 February 2022. The report also contains proposals for developing the funding environment.According to the report, the sustained nature of action and growth funding that specialises in the health sector are the most significant bottlenecks in the financing environment. The fragmentation of funding into relatively small and short-term packages appears as the key bottleneck in Finland’s health sector funding environment, which explains why the commercialisation and scaling of promising ideas and innovations do not make smooth progress.Finland has competitive research, but business scaling is a challenge. While EU funding offers significant opportunities, the utilisation of EU funding is not as systematic and strategic in Finland as in many other countries. By creating a more efficient national organisation Finland would probably make much more use of EU funding sources.Funding for health sector research has increased, and Finnish growth companies in the health sector have managed to raise substantial capital investments. However, the financial environment is clearly less developed than in the reference countries (Sweden, Denmark, Belgium) and the competitiveness of the financial environment is falling behind them. The intention is to utilise the report’s results in implementing the Health Sector Growth Strategy and in developing the funding environment for the health sector. The report is part of the measures included in the Roadmap for Health Sector Growth Strategy for Research and Innovation Activities, which was published in December 2020. It was submitted to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment by 4Front Oy and KPMG.
NordenBladet — On 22 February, the President of the Republic and the Ministerial Committee on Foreign and Security Policy discussed the actions taken by Russia and the security situation in Europe. Finland supports Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.Finland condemns Russia’s unilateral acts that violate Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty. Recognition of the separatist regions in Eastern Ukraine is a serious breach of the Minsk Agreements. Finland will respond to Russia’s actions as part of the European Union.Finland calls on Russia to refrain from military actions.
NordenBladet — A report on public procurement education and training in Finland in 2021 was published as part of the Procurement Finland programme and the implementation of the National Public Procurement Strategy. The report charts the educational backgrounds of professionals engaged in public procurement and compiles information about educational institutions that provide procurement education and training. According to the report, there is a particular need for more in-depth education and training in public procurement.Of the 26 higher education institutions that responded to the survey, 22 said they offered procurement education and training. However, their offerings focus on general procurement, not specifically on education and training preparing students for public procurement. Public procurement education and training was mainly provided as limited special content. However, the higher education institutions were of the opinion that general procurement education and training also prepares students to implement public procurement projects. The currently available education and training does not, however, sufficiently take into account the special features of public procurement, for example, with respect to knowledge of the legislative environment. The report’s findings support the need to increase and expand public procurement education and training.Public procurement competence is acquired outside of higher education institutionsOf the respondents who engage in public procurement in their work, 79% said that their studies did not include procurement skills. Few felt that their degree had prepared them to handle public procurement tasks. At the moment, the majority of people engaged in public procurement gain the competence required by their job description through training organised by their employer or independently. This poses challenges particularly to small contracting entities, which may not have sufficient resources to offer their employees procurement training.Almost 80% of people engaged in public procurement have a higher education degree. Of the respondents, 51% said that they had graduated from a university and 28% from a university of applied sciences. At the moment, people whose main job is public procurement usually hold a Bachelor of Business Administration, Master of Administrative Sciences or Master of Science (Technology) degree. Experts that support public procurement are most often trained in the fields of law, administration or commerce.The aim is to chart procurement competenceThe Procurement Finland programme is currently preparing a competence self-evaluation tool for contracting entities with the aim of giving contracting entities an opportunity to examine their strengths and development needs relating to procurement competence in more detail. By using this tool, information gathered at the national level and the education and training report that has just been published can be used to better develop procurement education and training as well as public procurement competence in the future.The report is part of the Ministry of Finance’s and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities’ Procurement Finland action programme and the National Public Procurement Strategy. The report was drawn up by knowledge-based management consulting company Innolink.
NordenBladet — Birgitta Vuorinen joined the Finnish Embassy in London in early January as a senior specialist in higher education and science policy. She relocated to London from the Ministry of Education and Culture, where she worked as Director of the Division for Higher Education Policy. The UK thus became the ninth area of expertise for the Team Finland Knowledge network. Vuorinen’s task is to follow higher education and science policy in the UK, foster opportunities for cooperation, promote Finland’s visibility, and assist Finnish higher education institutions, research institutes and other innovation ecosystem stakeholders in their endeavours for closer cooperation with British parties.The Team Finland Knowledge network consists of eight other higher education and science senior specialists stationed in different countries. Besides London, there are senior specialists in Abu Dhabi, Buenos Aires, Moscow, New Delhi, Beijing, Pretoria, Singapore and Washington. The Team Finland Knowledge senior specialists work in Finnish missions abroad in close cooperation with the TeamFinland network. The network helps Finnish stakeholders to access effective RDI networks and promotes education-based immigration. Due to its common history with the European Union, the UK differs from the rest of the countries in which Team Finland Knowledge operates. The role of EU programmes has been instrumental in promoting mobility and research cooperation between our two countries, and collaboration between the EU Member States still plays a key role in building a new kind of partnership between the UK and the EU. – Cooperation with other EU countries will also be strongly involved when building bilateral relations, says Birgitta Vuorinen. What happens to cooperation with higher education institutions and mobility between countries?Finnish and British universities have many bilateral agreements and research cooperation is close. Both countries have set ambitious goals for boosting RDI funding and becoming more international, which also provides a good basis for building effective RDI networks and partnerships. Finland belongs to eleven networks of European universities that are working on new collaborative forms between higher education institutions as well as cross-border collaboration in teaching. Two networks of Finnish higher education institutions also include a British university. The networks receive funding from both Erasmus+ and Horizon. The terms of the programme funding guide the activities, so the UK’s withdrawal from the EU and any agreements on programme cooperation will be reflected in the activities of the networks in the future. The UK reached its 2030 target of 600,000 international degree students ten years ahead of schedule. A significant percentage of the revenue of British universities is composed of tuition fees, which means that international degree students are also of financial consequence. Following its withdrawal from the EU, the tuition fees of international degree students in the UK have risen, and in some cases even quadrupled. Higher costs, restrictions on entry to the country, the COVID-19 pandemic and more opportunities for distance learning as a result of the pandemic means that the number of applicants and admissions from EU countries to the UK has dropped. For example, the number of Finnish applicants in the main round of applications was approximately one thousand in 2015-2016, whereas in 2021 it was down to a mere 240. However, the UK still wishes to attract international degree students, and it has now shifted its focus to recruiting them from Asia and Africa in particular. Statistics published in early February show that the total number of international degree students enrolled in UK universities increased by 4% from the previous year. Finland aims to triple its number of international degree students by 2030. British students do not have high incentives to pursue degree studies abroad because the UK offers an abundant supply of higher education institutions and provides a lending concept that balances out tuition fees and includes means testing that takes income levels into account. However, the UK advances student mobility by means the Turing programme, which supports UK students’ studies abroad. A total of £330 million in funds will cover at least the next three years. Thus, the UK is looking for its own students to become more international, while Finland wants to increase the number of foreign degree students and exchange students. Both countries need skilled labour, so the desire to employ highly educated people is great. Making sure that different policy areas in talent attraction are interoperable is important. For this reason, both the UK and Finland are currently reviewing their entry regulations, among other things. – For example, the entry of trainees into the UK is challenging at the moment, and we want to draw the British government’s attention to it together with the other EU Member States, Birgitta Vuorinen says.