Submitting a complaint to the Finnish Supervisory Agency

You can submit an electronic complaint to the Finnish Supervisory Agency in our e-service. The use of the agency’s e-service requires Suomi.fi e-Identification, for which you can use online banking IDs, a mobile certificate, or another identification token. 

When processing a complaint submitted via the e-service, we need the following information: 

• the complainant’s details 
• information on the patient or client 
• the subject of the complaint, i.e. the operating unit or place of treatment   
• date of the incident 
• a description of the matter or event to which the complaint relates 
• details of any previous objection or complaint 
• processing of the matter with other potential parties 

If you are dissatisfied with the service or treatment you have received, first discuss the matter directly with the service provider or the person who made the decision. You can also contact their supervisor. Often, the situation is best resolved through open dialogue. If your complaint concerns health care, social welfare or early childhood education and care, you can submit a written objection to the service provider before you submit a complaint to our agency. When submitting a complaint, attach the objection you submitted previously and the response you received.  

Please note that we do not usually investigate a complaint if 

• it concerns a service or activity that took place more than two years ago 
• the complaint has been submitted anonymously or it is incomplete to the point that it does not indicate what the complaint concerns 
• a complaint on the same matter has already been processed  
• another authority, such as the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman or the Chancellor of Justice, is processing the matter 
• we have assessed that it is unjustified or otherwise does not warrant any action. 

Also note the following: 

• A complaint cannot be submitted anonymously. If we decide to investigate your complaint, we will contact the subject of the complaint. In this case, we will send all the documents you submitted to us to the subject of the complaint, and the subject of the complaint will be made aware of your name.  
• A decision on a complaint is confidential if the complaint contains confidential data, such as social welfare client data and health care patient data.  
• A decision on a complaint cannot be appealed. 
• The complaint process is a long one. It may take a long time to reach a decision, up to more than one year. 
• You will need a letter of attorney to submit a complaint on behalf of another person. Only a legal representative can access a decision on a matter concerning a person they represent without a letter of attorney. A legal representative includes the guardian of a minor or a person’s appointed guardian. Attach the decision on guardianship to your complaint. 

If you submit a complaint via the e-service, you will receive an acknowledgement by e-mail. If, on the other hand, you submit the complaint by email to the registry, you will receive an acknowledgement directly from the registry. 

Once we have received a complaint, we will examine it. Please note that it will take more time to examine the complaint if it contains several different questions. If the complaint does not warrant action, we will notify you as soon as possible.  

We can also refer a complaint in health care and social welfare services complaint to a wellbeing services county or a private service provider for processing in the form of an objection. Similarly, a complaint concerning early childhood education and care may be transferred to an ECEC unit or a senior office holder in ECEC for processing as an objection 

The Finnish Supervisory Agency can process and resolve a complaint solely on the basis of the complaint documents. If a complaint warrants a more detailed investigation, we will obtain the additional information, documents, and expert opinions we consider necessary. When requesting clarification, we will send all the documents you have submitted to us to the subject of the complaint. If necessary, we may also ask you for a response to the provided clarifications. 

Once your complaint has been resolved, we will provide you with the decision. The decision concerning your complaint can be sent through Suomi.fi Message, e-mail, secure e-mail, or post. A decision on a complaint cannot be appealed. 

If you have submitted a complaint on behalf of another person and the complaint concerns confidential matters, we will only send you a decision if you have provided us a letter of attorney. In any case, we will notify you when your complaint has been resolved. 

If we believe that the service or treatment you have been provided has included errors or inappropriate actions, we will take the measures that we consider appropriate on the basis of the complaint. If we assess that there is no reason to take action on the basis of the complaint, we will notify the complainant of the matter. In addition, we can provide administrative guidance to a social and health care sector professional or the person responsible for the activities. Its purpose is to guide the professional or the unit to act in another manner in the future.  

We cannot, on the basis of a complaint, alter or overturn a diagnosis or treatment decision made by a physician or decisions made by courts or other authorities. The Finnish Supervisory Agency also does not process suspected criminal offences. In such cases, contact the police. 

A complaint will never lead to financial compensation from the Finnish Supervisory Agency. In health care-related matters, you can apply for compensation from the Patient Insurance Centre. 

We make an effort to process all complaints within one year of their arrival. 

A complaint must be submitted within two years of the incident. We only process complaints older than this in special cases.  

The submission of a complaint will require that you provide information on your identity. If your complaint is accepted for further examination, the party who the complaint was submitted about will have the opportunity to respond. In connection with the hearing, all documents you have sent will be provided to them, at which time they will be informed of your name.