The Finnish Association of Vision and Eyecare Näe thanks the government for the significant decision to repeal Article 16 of the legislation concerning healthcare professionals. This long-awaited change will improve the access of Finns to eye health services, strengthen the position of optometrists in healthcare, and bring significant benefits to both citizens and society as a whole.
The Finnish Association of Vision and Eyecare Näe thanks the government for their decision to repeal Article 16 of the legislation concerning healthcare professionals. Näe would like to express special thanks to the government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, whose government programme entry on streamlining healthcare created the conditions for the start of the preparation of the decree, as well as to the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health and Minister Kaisa Juuso for their meritorious preparatory work. This is a significant reform that will improve the opportunities of Finns to access eye health and eye disease treatment.
“This is a historic moment. Finally, Finland is in line with the other Nordic countries. It has required years of work and cooperation across government terms to repeal the article”, says Panu Tast, CEO of the Finnish Association of Vision and Eyecare Näe.
Putting the entire expertise of optometrists to use – a smoother service for citizens
With the government’s decision, Finnish optometrists can now utilise all their expertise for the benefit of citizens’ good vision and eye health. The repeal of the article will make it easier for over 1.5 million Finns to access the services they need to purchase or update their eyeglasses. At the same time, it will also reduce the eye care costs of households. The repeal will enter into force on 1.8.2025.
Once the restrictions are lifted, an eye examination by an optometrists will be sufficient to obtain a prescription for glasses, for example, for those under 8 years of age, those with basic health, those suffering from refractive errors, those who have had eye surgery, or those suffering from decreased visual acuity due to ageing.
“The expertise of optometrists is finally being put to full use. Customers will now no longer have to wonder if an optometrist can prescribe glasses – they can always go to an optometrist first. If necessary, the optometrist can always refer the customer to an ophthalmologist. Multidisciplinary cooperation will be further strengthened”, says Tast.
New, cost-effective opportunities for wellbeing services counties
The repeal of the article will free the private sector from an estimated 100,000–150,000 visits to ophthalmologists annually, which were previously associated with the prescription of eyeglasses. This capacity can now be allocated in a new way, for example, to reduce waiting lists for eye diseases in wellbeing services counties and to organise specialized medical care services with the help of the private sector, according to needs.
“The decision not only streamlines the service. This is a significant step towards more equal and efficient eye healthcare throughout Finland”, says Tast.
The gradual repealing of the regulation will
- strengthen the regional equality of services, especially in areas with a large elderly population and a limited number of ophthalmologists.
- improve the chances of accessing examinations and treatments from an ophthalmologist within the time specified in the Care Guarantee Act.
- enable the reorganisation of job tasks, allowing different professional groups to better focus on the work that best matches their expertise.
- open up the opportunity for wellbeing services counties to organise, for example, glaucoma monitoring, diabetic retinopathy screening, and cataract surgery follow-up examinations more cost-effectively.
- support the viability of small healthcare units and increase local economic activity and vitality.
Additional information:
Panu Tast, CEO, the Finnish Association of Vision and Eyecare Näe, tel. +358 (0) 40 5422 227, panu.tast@naery.fi
