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HEALTH

Denmark’s ‘regions’ could be disbanded in major public health reform

Denmark’s current regional organisation of public health administration could be scrapped in an upcoming reform to the country’s national healthcare system.

Denmark’s 'regions' could be disbanded in major public health reform
File photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

While government party Liberal (Venstre) will hold senior-level talks on how it sees the future of Denmark’s five ‘regions’ on Friday, parliamentary ally the Danish People’s Party (DF) says it expects the current system to be replaced.

“I expect that if a major new plan is presented, as there has been much talk of, this will involve scrapping the regions,” DF health spokesperson Liselott Blixt said.

The Liberal party is reported to be split over the idea, while the two junior partners in the coalition, Liberal Alliance and the Conservatives, both support replacing the regions with a new system.

The five Danish regions – North Jutland, Central Jutland, Southern Denmark, Zealand and the Capital Region – came into being on January 1st, 2007. They are administrative bodies primarily concerned with health care, welfare and social development, and representatives are appointed every four years via elections. They are separate from municipal councils, for which elections are normally held at the same time.

A government plan for the future of the health service is expected to be presented later this month.

Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen said in his New Year’s speech that healthcare reforms would be a priority for the government in early 2019, but did not name the regions specifically.

“I will present my ideas for justifiable improvements based on 21 new localised health communities, built on the skills of healthcare workers and where we put the needs of the patient before the system,” Rasmussen said.

The 21 ‘communities’ would provide connections between hospitals, municipalities and GPs, according to comments by the PM in his parliamentary opening speech in October.

Although few specific details of the reform have so far emerged, reports have suggested that the presence of elected officials in healthcare administration will be discontinued in the new structure.

But representatives, including from Rasmussen’s own party, who currently serve on regional bodies have warned against such a step, notably in a joint opinion piece by regional council chairs which was published by newspaper Politiken on Thursday.

The health reform issue could put pressure on Rasmussen with this year’s general election, which must be held no later than June, just over the horizon.

“It has simply taken too long from the announcement of the reform to the details being made public. That means critics have been able to dominate the discussion unopposed,” Helle Ib, a poitical commentator with newspaper Berlingske, said.

“This is a terrible start for Løkke to a reform which we know is intended as a type of election run-up, because it is going to be so close to the general election,” Ib added.

READ ALSO: Regional data reflects economic upswing in Denmark: DI

HEALTH

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

Danish Minister for the Interior and Health Sophie Løhde has warned that, despite increasing activity at hospitals, it will be some time before current waiting lists are reduced.

Lengthy waiting times at Danish hospitals not going away yet: minister

The message comes as Løhde was set to meet with officials from regional health authorities on Wednesday to discuss the progress of an acute plan for the Danish health system, launched at the end of last year in an effort to reduce a backlog of waiting times which built up during the coronavirus crisis.

An agreement with regional health authorities on an “acute” spending plan to address the most serious challenges faced by the health services agreed in February, providing 2 billion kroner by the end of 2024.

READ ALSO: What exactly is wrong with the Danish health system?

The national organisation for the health authorities, Danske Regioner, said to newspaper Jyllands-Posten earlier this week that progress on clearing the waiting lists was ahead of schedule.

Some 245,300 operations were completed in the first quarter of this year, 10 percent more than in the same period in 2022 and over the agreed number.

Løhde said that the figures show measures from the acute plan are “beginning to work”.

“It’s positive but even though it suggests that the trend is going the right way, we’re far from our goal and it’s important to keep it up so that we get there,” she said.

“I certainly won’t be satisfied until waiting times are brought down,” she said.

“As long as we are in the process of doing postponed operations, we will unfortunately continue to see a further increase [in waiting times],” Løhde said.

“That’s why it’s crucial that we retain a high activity this year and in 2024,” she added.

Although the government set aside 2 billion kroner in total for the plan, the regional authorities expect the portion of that to be spent in 2023 to run out by the end of the summer. They have therefore asked for some of the 2024 spending to be brought forward.

Løhde is so far reluctant to meet that request according to Jyllands-Posten.

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