The government's list of additional savings in social and healthcare services has been published, detailing some 170 million euros in spending cuts that will help reduce state budget deficits.

Cuts in basic healthcare and social services are intended to replace planned cuts to specialist healthcare and expanded co-operation between hospitals that would have saved substantial amounts in the state budget.

That plan was proposed by the Minsitry for Social Affairs and Health, but it ran into political opposition when details of reductions in hospital services were revealed.

The government parties agreed the savings package at a meeting on Thursday, one day after the opposition parties launched an interpellation debate on the government's plans to cut from social and healthcare budgets.

Child protection cut

Prime MinisterPetteri Orpo (NCP) had previously promised to announce the spending cut plan beforelocal elections due in April.

The savings list also includes a five million euro reduction in payments for county councillors and their activities. Much of the list does not include detailed breakdowns of the savings, however.

Some 50 million euros will be cut from the budget of the Social Insurance Institution, Kela. Child protection and social work services will be cut by 12.6 million euros from 2026 onwards, and services for disabled people will be cut by 20 million euros.

Home care services will be increasingly digitised, producing savings of some 16.2 million euros.

Social care services are expected to provide some 100 million euros of savings from 2028 onwards.

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