The National Care Competence Council proposes changes within VFU

The National Board of Health and Welfare's headquarters.

The council's final report has now been published, with proposals for a number of changes within operational education, VFU. The council also mentions that students need to be compensated for increased costs, after input from SFS. 

The national care competence council is an advisory body led by the National Board of Health and Welfare and the University Chancellor's Office, UKÄ. Regions, municipalities and universities are represented. SFS participated in a meeting through representatives Agnes Karonen and Tilda Jalakas. We have previously expressed disappointment that the students were not formally represented in the group. Read SFS' impressions from the meeting here

The council's goal is to contribute to the provision of competence in health care, due to the fact that there is a shortage of primary care doctors both now and at least ten years from now. The council proposes a billion contribution from the state, and a national coordination function to support the regions in the supply of skills. 

For the students, it is particularly important that VFU functions well. There, the council proposes the following changes:

  • Models for supervision of students during VFU or clinical practice should be developed.
  • The potential to provide VFU or clinical practice within municipal healthcare should be utilized to a greater extent.
  • Nursing training and training elements should be carried out to a greater extent in several locations in rural areas within primary care, in the form of decentralized training and through VFU or clinical practice in rural operations.
  • Nursing training and training sessions should be carried out to a greater extent in socioeconomically vulnerable areas in primary care, in the form of VFU here with clinical practice

SFS has been keen to highlight the problems that arise when VFU is located in another location. Commuting far means costs. If the distance is longer, you may have to find a home in the town, and thus pay double rent. How students are compensated for that cost varies, sometimes you won't be reimbursed at all. 

The council proposes that VFU should be implemented to a greater extent in activities in rural areas, which will likely mean increased costs for the students. Following suggestions from SFS, the report emphasizes that students may need to be compensated. It is good that the perspective is raised in the report, but we will continue to follow the issue to ensure that it is also implemented in practice. 

Read the report here.