Summer cutbacks are fairly standard practice in Finland, and much of it happens normally through summer holidays. But this year, many hospitals are seeing greater staff reductions, or departments that will remain closed for longer than normal.
Hospital districts say the reductions are working out well.
"Some departments have been rushed, but we've dealt with that. We're not at over-capacity," says Tuija Lehti, chief nurse at the Turku University Hospital.
The Union of Health and Social Care Professionals, Tehy, warns that the quality of care could be compromised if professionals have to prioritize their duties to just what they have time to do.
"Patient safety won't suffer, we'll make sure of that. But the quality will decline when you have to prioritise which tasks you have time to do," argues Tehy's chief shop steward in Turku, Kirsti Tuominen.
She says the biggest cutbacks can be seen in basic care facilities, such as in homes for the elderly. "The first things to get scrapped will be things like outings and some baths and other things like that."
Tuominen says the summer situation is anything but normal, and is also very worried that the recession is exacerbating the problem. Furloughs are expected in public health care at least in Kuopio and Porvoo, for example.
"Every day there are cases of people pulling double shifts and that's not a normal situation at all," says Tuominen. "That's what's so worrying, and we fear that health care waiting lines will grow - but we'll know for sure in the autumn."
