Right to emergency treatment
The Constitution of Finland guarantees the right to livelihood and care. Care refers to urgent medical care, among other things. In emergencies, you have the right to receive treatment immediately at the emergency service of the nearest health centre or hospital, regardless of your place of domicile.
The authorised responsible physician or dentist at the emergency care unit or another authorised healthcare professional following their instructions may direct you to the emergency care unit, another healthcare unit or a different, purposeful location for treatment. The guidance must take into account the urgency classifications used in the emergency care unit and the individual need for treatment and risk analysis.
The municipality or hospital district must provide a 24-hour on-call service for the provision of emergency treatment.