Patient Ombudsman Services

The duties of the Patient Ombudsman are regulated by the Act on the Status and Rights of Patients (Patient Act 785/1992) and the Act on Patient and Social Welfare Ombudsmen (793/2023).

You can contact a Patient Ombudsman if you need more information about your rights in healthcare or if you are dissatisfied with the treatment or care you have received. The role of the Patient Ombudsman is advisory and guidance-oriented.

The Patient Ombudsman does not make decisions regarding treatment, assess the implementation of treatment, or determine whether a patient injury has occurred.

The Patient Ombudsman does not interpret the contents of patient records.

Meetings are available by appointment only.

How to Proceed

You can contact the Patient Ombudsman if you have questions about the care you have received at healthcare facilities and operational units of the Wellbeing Services County of North Savo. The Patient Ombudsman provides advice and guidance on matters related to healthcare clients’ rights and legal status.

You can contact a Patient Ombudsman by telephone, email, or through the messaging service. Personal meetings are arranged by appointment.

Fees

The services are free of charge and confidential.

Telephone Service

You can receive advice and guidance on healthcare clients’ rights from a Patient Ombudsman. Patient Ombudsmen can be reached by telephone during call hours or by leaving a callback request on voicemail. Meetings are arranged by appointment.

Telephone numbers

Patient Ombudsmen for Specialized Healthcare
 +358 44 461 0511

Patient Ombudsmen for Primary Healthcare
 +358 44 461 0850

Service hours

Telephone service (appointments must always be arranged separately):

Monday to Friday: 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m.

Electronic Contact Information

• Patient Ombudsmen: potilasasiavastaava@pshyvinvointialue.fi
• Email is not secure. Do not send information that you wish to keep confidential. 
• Secure email service for Patient Ombudsmen: https://turvaposti.pshyvinvointialue.fi
• The secure email service requires authentication. Select potilasasiavastaava as the recipient. Messages are sent in encrypted form.

See also

• The Patient Insurance Centre  
• The Finnish Supervisory Agency 
• What is data protection? Office of the Data Protection Ombudsman  

Primary health care Patient Ombudsperson

Patient Ombudspersons Raija Autio and Arja Kivari 
Telephone hours: Mon-Fri 9.00 - 11.30 am 
Tel. 044 461 0850 

Email to primary health care Patient Ombudsperson: potilasasiavastaava@pshyvinvointialue.fi   
Insert the municipality of contact in the email heading. The email is unsecure, thus, do not send any information you wish to keep confidential. 

• Primary health care Patient Ombudsperson, brochure (pdf)

Patient Ombudsperson for Kuopio University Hospital 

Kristiina Anttonen and Mervi Paldanius 
Tel. 044 461 0511 

Email to the Patient Ombudsperson of Kuopio University Hospital: kyspotilasasiavastaava@pshyvinvointialue.fi   
Do not send any information you wish to keep confidential. 

Secure email to Patient Ombudsperson: https://turvaposti.pshyvinvointialue.fi   
Requires identification, select a Patient Ombudsperson as the recipient. The message is encrypted. 

• Patient Ombudsperson for Kuopio University Hospital, brochure (pdf)