The Medical Helpline can guide you to the most appropriate source of care and assess how urgently you should seek treatment. If home care is adequate for your issue, you will be provided with management instructions on the phone. The Medical Helpline is open 24 hours a day. When your local health care centre is open, please contact them in the first instance. In non-urgent matters, the best place for help is your local health care centre or the hospital clinic treating you.
In an urgent situation, you can go directly to the emergency room if you cannot contact the Medical Helpline in a reasonable amount of time, or at all.
Calls to the Medical Helpline are always picked up by health care professionals. The service is targeted for urgent but non-emergency situations, especially at times other than business hours.
Always call the emergency number 112 a life-threatening emergency(e.g. severe chest pain, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness, stroke symptoms, sudden convulsions).
The Medical Helpline 116117 is available in most parts of Finland except the Åland Islands, Lapland, and the Länsi-Pohja healthcare district.
Medical Helpline text service
The Medical Helpline text message service is toll-free and intended for those unable to hear or speak. The text service is provided throughout Finland by HUS Uusimaa region Medical Helpline 116117.