The City of Helsinki introduced a stricter rule against the non-attendance for healthcare services, said the city in a press release on Friday.
The city charges a non-attendance fee of EUR 56.70 for missed health care appointments but from now the fee will be also applicable, if the appointment is cancelled less than 24 hours in advance, unless there is an acceptable reason, such as sudden illness.
The new 24-hour rule applies to appointments booked on or after 10 May 2025.
The city authority urged the people to cancel or reschedule the appointments at least 24 hours in advance in case of failure to attend.
“We want to reduce the number of missed health and social services appointments. In 2024, clients in Helsinki missed a total of 102,000 health care appointments and 75,000 social welfare appointments without cancelling them. Reducing missed appointments will help us provide clients with faster access to our services in future,” said Juha Jolkkonen, Head of the Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division.
The non-attendance fee applies to doctors’ and nurses’ appointments, appointments with physiotherapists, occupational therapists or other health care professionals, dental appointments with dentists, oral hygienists and dental assistants, specialised health care outpatient appointments (such as psychiatric, internal medicine and geriatric outpatient clinics), school and student health care appointments and follow-up treatment or examination appointments booked by the city.
The non-attendance fee, however, will not be applicable for clients under the age of 18.
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
