HUS to establish its own joint replacement hospital in Helsinki to speed up access to treatment
HUS is establishing a dedicated joint replacement hospital in Helsinki, offering university hospital-level care to improve access to treatment. The joint replacement hospital Orton will focus on hip and knee joint replacement surgeries and is scheduled to begin operations on April 1, 2026.
On January 12, the HUS Joint Authority Executive decided that HUS will establish its own joint replacement hospital in Helsinki to improve access to treatment. Waiting lists for musculoskeletal surgery have grown significantly in recent years. As of the end of November 2025, there were 1,760 patients who had been waiting for joint replacement surgery for more than six months.
The joint replacement hospital Orton will focus on hip and knee replacement surgeries. The hospital is expected to open on April 1, 2026. At the same time, Orton Ltd would cease its current operations as a private hospital.
The plan is to gradually transfer HUS’s joint replacement surgeries to the new joint replacement hospital. Other musculoskeletal and emergency operations remain in the HUS Group.
Faster than ever university hospital-level care
“The joint replacement hospital Orton will offer university hospital-level care based on the latest research. By focusing exclusively on joint replacement surgeries, we can significantly boost efficiency and shorten waiting times for patients,” says Risto Rautava, Chair of Executive Board.
Patients can seek treatment at Orton with a referral to specialized healthcare at HUS. HUS will be directing patients already on a waiting list to the joint replacement surgery hospital when its operations start. For patients, the cost of care will be the same as HUS’s standard patient fees.
The Board's decision initiates a process of change
As part of its decision, the HUS Joint Authority Executive appointed a new Board of Directors for Orton Ltd, effective January 12. Johanna Karppi will serve as Chair of the Board. Mika Paavola, Director of Musculoskeletal and Plastic Surgery, is expected to be appointed Acting CEO of the joint replacement hospital Orton.
The Board of Orton Ltd. will initiate change negotiations in the company, aiming to launch the joint replacement hospital’s operations in accordance with the decision of HUS Joint Authority Executive.
The HUS Group will initiate preparations to plan, in cooperation with staff, the potential transfer of joint replacement services to the joint replacement hospital Orton.
Briefings for HUS and Orton employees will be held on the afternoon of January 12.
The service network decision guides the development of HUS hospitals
Joint replacement surgeries are currently performed at Hyvinkää, Lohja, Porvoo, and Peijas hospitals. The planned transfer of joint replacement surgeries to the new hospital will not affect the overall service network framework or the service network decision of HUS. The change will free up operating room capacity for other specialties and for musculoskeletal surgery that remains within HUS.
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