Peijas Hospital emergency room services outsourced
Nurses dealing with minor complaints
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Patients complaining of the sniffles will usually not have access to a doctor at the emergency room at Peijas Hospital in Vantaa.
One of the changes that took place when the hospital's emergency room services were outsourced to the private company MedOne on Wednesday is that patients with colds or other minor ailments are being tended to by nurses.
Last year Vantaa signed the most extensive contract in Finland so far on the privatisation of municipal health care services. Under the contract, MedOne will be responsible for emergency room services at Peijas for the next three years. The emergency room at Peijas deals with 48,000 patients a year.
In addition to emergency room services for Vantaa and Kerava, Peijas deals with part of the patient flow from nearby Sipoo and Tuusula during nighttime.
The main reason for the outsourcing was money. Vantaa estimates that it will save EUR 900,000 this year through its contract with MedOne.
So how can a private company perform the same tasks as a municipal entity for less money and still make a profit?
Jarmo Kantonen, head of emergency services at MedOne says that there are three ways to cut costs: reducing the number of visits by patients, using laboratory and x-ray services more sparingly, and making due with fewer personnel.
One factor promoting efficiency is that now all who work at the emergency room have the same employer. In recent years, some of the doctors were municipal employees, while others were contracted from MedOne, while the nurses worked for the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District.
Kantonen also notes that many nighttime patients come mainly to get a note for absence from work, even though they could wait until the following day.
Under the new system, they will get lighter treatment from a nurse, a note attesting to the symptoms, or a referral to their local public health clinic the following day.
If the number of patients declines, Kantonen says that it would mean that the clinic can get by with fewer personnel. This would also mean that those needing urgent care would have to wait less to see a doctor.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 3.1.2008 - TODAY |
 Peijas Hospital emergency room services outsourced |
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