There are no cuts in the service network, even though the budget is in deficit. A shortage of carers and an ageing population will pose challenges to service delivery.
The first budget of the Päijät-Häme Welfare Region, which will start at the beginning of next year, contains many outstanding issues.
On Monday, the regional council adopted next year’s budget, which includes annual costs of around €950 million for social services and rescue services.
Funding comes mainly from the state and also from customer contributions.
According to Virolainen, there are enough uncertainties.
– There are many uncertainties associated with the share coming from the state. We don’t know what the corona’s possible costs are for us. We also do not fully know the total price of the wage contracts.
Future challenges for Päijät-Häme’s service structure come from the aging population and the fact that social security personnel are difficult to find. Currently, Päijät-Sote has a shortage of around 200 permanent nurses.
No cuts to the service network currently foreseen
– You shouldn’t worry right away, even though a deficit is never a desirable situation. According to the new legislation, the deficit must also be covered within three years.
Hyvinvointikuntayhtmä overhauled the service network in 2019. According to Hämäläinen, there are no known changes for next year.
– Next year, at least at the moment, no surgeries are known. We are not touching the service network.
According to Hämäläinen, the economy in Päijät-Hämee is in better shape than elsewhere on average, and painful decisions have been made in the province in the past.
– The state provides a framework for what needs to be done. On the other hand, if we do things better and save money, it will not be taken away from us.
Hämäläinen sees the challenge of how Päijät-Häme’s scarce funding will develop in the future.
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