Channels of appeal and compensation
If you are not satisfied with the everyday conditions of medical institutions or the health workers level of communication, you should always first bring this to the attention of the management of that medical institution. Health care providers are required, in their place of activity, to inform about the patient's right to receive contact details and make a complaint to the health service provider's management, the Estonian Health Insurance Fund or the Health Board concerning the provision of health service.
If you are not satisfied with the quality of health care service provided, you have the right to turn to the Health Board, who will start the supervision proceedings, if necessary. Detailed description of complaints procedure can be found here.
The Estonian Health Insurance Fund can monitor the quality and availability of health care services provided by its contract partners. The list of EHIF’s contract partners can be found here. You can report about quality and availability issues concerning health care services to info [at] tervisekassa.ee
If you doubt the quality of medical service, we recommend contacting the advisory expert committee on the quality of health care services working under the Ministry of Social Affairs. If the committee has identified a medical error, they will inform the physician responsible and the medical institution and, if necessary, propose to the professional association that the competence of the medical professional who made the mistake be verified. In its decision, the committee may make suggestions, give advice or recommendations, but may not oblige a physician or medical institution to compensate the patient for the damage caused by a medical error.
More information can be found here.
Please note! If you used health care services outside Estonia and you were not satisfied with the quality of the treatment provided there, you must, when making your complaint, follow the legislation of the country where the treatment was provided to you.
More information: The role of health care providers in quality assurance
Compensation
If it is determined that the patient was harmed during the provision of health care service, it is possible to appeal for compensation:
1) to the health care provider;
2) to civil court.
Voluntary liability insurance
Estonian Medical Association (EAL) and the insurance company If P&C Insurance AS have signed a professional liability insurance agreement that covers all the practicing physicians who are members of EAL.
More information can be found here.
