The Swedish People's Party (SPP) says it wants to introduce a tax incentive to entice healthcare professionals who have left Finland to move back.
A recent government study showing that the country will need tens of thousands more nurses over the next decades has made waves in Finland. Employment Minister Arto Satonen (NCP) recently travelled to the Philippines and Vietnam to promote international recruitment efforts, partly in the healthcare sector.
The growing demand for healthcare professionals is primarily driven by the country's ageing population.
The Swedish People's Party on Wednesday released a list of measures aimed at improving Finland's social and healthcare system. It is, however, unclear how sizeable the proposed tax break would be.
The party, which has been in government since 2019 and helped push through a major reform of social and healthcare provision during the previous parliamentary term, calls its proposals for health and social care a 'repair kit'.
It includes the suggestion that returning healthcare professionals be granted a temporarily reduced income tax rate if they resume working in the healthcare sector.
To address current healthcare staff shortages, the party also proposed a tax credit for retirees working part-time in the sector.
In April, people in Finland will head to the polls for a dual municipal and regional contest, with surveys highlighting healthcare services as a key issue in this election cycle.
The All Points North podcast recently asked what's happened to Finland's public healthcare system.
Listen to the episode via this embedded player, on Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Users with an Yle ID can leave comments on our news stories. You can create your Yle ID via this link. Our guidelines on commenting and moderation are explained here.