“I’m sure it isn’t a secret that I’m not a big fan of this whole thing,” she said to the public broadcasting company.

The current government, however, is not intent on or even capable of making radical changes to the social and health care system.

Any changes will have to be implemented over a longer period of time, according to Purra.

“One of the most important themes of the next parliamentary elections will be what should be done about this,” she predicted, adding that the current government will simply try to “cope with” the structure.

The minister also expressed her concerns about recent revelations about the gaping budget deficits of the counties. The government, she stated, is monitoring how the financial situation develops and is prepared to assume a more active role if necessary.

“There’s currently an inability to rein in costs, and that probably means that the government will have to engage in more steering in regards to the counties,” said Purra.

YLE reported earlier this month that most of the counties are operating on wider-than-expected budget deficits this year, with the total deficit estimate increasing by roughly 50 per cent in the second half of the year to 1.25 billion euros. A number of well-being services counties have resorted to consultative negotiations due to the difficult financial situation.

On Monday, HUS Group, the joint municipal authority responsible for specialised health care in Uusimaa, confirmed that it is looking to axe almost a thousand employees to create 50 million euros in savings.

Aleksi Teivainen – HT