Admittance to Niuvanniemi Hospital is for either court-ordered psychiatric examination or for treatment. Patients ordered for treatment are admitted either by decision of The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) or by decision of the medical director on application by county wellbeing services. The medical director decides when examinees and patients can be admitted, so that the hospital’s bed capacity is not overloaded. The medical director may also decide not to admit a patient or examinee, whereby alternative examination and treatment facilities must be sought for by THL or the county wellbeing services. Decisions regarding treatment, examination and diagnosis are made by physicians. Although treatment and examinations at the hospital are generally based on the Mental Health Act’s provisions regarding involuntary treatment, the objective is to carry out treatment as far as possible in cooperation with patients.
