Welcome to HUS During treatment After treatment Your rights as a patient Patient fees Welcome to HUS Instructions on arriving for treatment at HUS You will always need a referral from your physician for treatment at a HUS hospital when your treatment is not urgent. Your treating physician will deliver the referral directly to the HUS physician, who will assess the referrals in the order of arrival, and place them in an order of urgency on the basis of medical grounds. You will either receive an invitation or other further instructions within three weeks of receipt of the referral. Those requiring urgent treatment can come to the hospital’s emergency department without a referral. People from outside the HUS region will receive urgent care in all the HUS emergency departments. Treatment will then be continued at the specialist medical care services of the patient’s place of residence or at the specialist medical care services selected together with the referring physician. We will always provide treatment for a foreign patient in need of urgent care. His or her country of residence will be liable for the medical care and its costs. More information on the treatment of foreigners in Finland. When you need non-urgent care, you have the freedom to choose your health center and provider of specialist medical care from among the public health care providers. You can make your choice by delivering a written notification to the health center of the municipality of residence responsible for your care and to the health center of the selected municipality. The freedom of choice does not apply to emergency services, long-term institutional care, or school and student health care. For more information on the choice of treatment unit. Learn more about choosing a treatment unit in other EU countries. Invitation and rescheduling of an appointment You will receive an invitation to HUS by letter and, if desired, also to the Omaposti application and the Maisa portal in units that use Apotti. In the invitation, we will provide information on, for example, the time and the hospital where to sign in, the procedures for which you have an appointment, and how to prepare in advance for your arrival at the hospital. The patient information form that was appended to the invitation can already be filled in at home, either electronically or on paper. You can fill out the electronic form by signing into the new Maisa portal. Click here to the Maisa portal You can reschedule or cancel a treatment appointment by calling the phone number indicated on the invitation. Registration When you arrive at the address indicated on the appointment letter, go to a self-registration kiosk, unless otherwise instructed in the appointment letter or in the lobby. You can find a self-registration kiosk in the main entrance lobby of every HUS hospital. In some outpatient clinics where there is no self-registration kiosk, you can sign in with the staff at the reception desk. To sign-in, you need a Kela card, driver's license, or an ID card. What to pack for a hospital stay Prepare for your hospital visit in advance and pack the following with you Your KELA card, any medication you are taking, an up-to-date list of your medication and medicinal products, information on allergies and diet, contact information of your next of kin, personal assistive equipment, personal hygiene products, shoes for indoor use, and insurance information, i.e. the employer's insurance certificate in the case of accidents at work. You can check the availability of assistive equipment at the unit where you are going. Most wards have limited storage space for patients’ items. Large amounts of cash and any valuables should be left at home. Check the location of the ward's emergency exits and, in exceptional circumstances, follow the instructions provided by the personnel. You can take a person with you to accompany you to the hospital. Parking There is a fee for parking in the HUS hospital areas. For more detailed information on parking areas, parking garages, and associated fees, please refer to the website of the relevant hospital. Taxi rides reimbursed by Kela Kela will reimburse your taxi ride when your state of health or inadequate public transportation requires it and you order the taxi from the regional order number. Accessibility HUS hospitals are accessible and the hospital premises have been made as easy as possible to move around in. We are constantly developing the accessibility of our hospitals. Please refer to hospital-specific accessibility information. Dogs in the hospital As a rule, dogs are not allowed inside a hospital. If necessary, assistance dogs or guide dogs for people with reduced mobility, visually impairment, or diabetes, as well as care dogs for animal-assisted activities, are welcome inside a hospital. In addition, dogs performing official duties or active in security or service duties can enter a hospital. If you have been in inpatient care at a hospital for a long time or your loved one is in hospice care, you can ask permission for a dog’s visit. The dog must not cause any disturbance for the health or safety of patients or staff. The dog must be kept on a leash at all times when inside the hospital. Dogs cannot be brought to intensive care units, intermediate care units, or other facilities where the risk of infection needs to be minimized. Patient Hotel HUS Patient Hotel is intended for you when your treatment is in Meilahti or a hospital in the vicinity, and you are arriving for treatment or a procedure that lasts more than 24 hours, or overnight stay near the hospital is recommended, and you are well enough to live at home, i.e. you can cope independently or with the support of a person or family member accompanying you. Hotel room reservations will be made by the treatment unit. HUS Patient Hotel is located at Scandic Meilahti Hotel. Treatment time guarantee Deadlines for non-urgent treatment and examinations are specified in the Health Care Guarantee. Your need for treatment should be assessed within three weeks of receiving the referral. If you have not been able to get an appointment within six months of the assessment of the need for treatment, please contact the unit which made you the referral or assessed the need for treatment. Waiting times for various units Service voucher HUS has concluded service voucher agreements for some treatments and procedures with an external service provider. Service voucher policies vary by unit. You can ask for more detailed information from your treatment unit. You cannot select or request a service voucher. An outpatient examination or procedure provided on the basis of a service voucher is an option for you with the same price as the treatment we offer at HUS. Link to price list Contact information The principal contact information for the administration, registries, and invoicing of the Joint Authority Hospitals and other units