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WORKING IN DENMARK

Denmark takes ‘far too long’ to approve qualifications of foreign medics

The Danish parliamentary ombudsman’s office has concluded that authorities take too long to approve qualifications and authorise foreign medical professionals who apply to work in Denmark.

Published: 25 February 2022 16:05 CET
hospital in denmark
Denmark's parliamentary watchdog says the country's Patient Afety Authority takes too long to process authorisation of foreign doctors. File photo: Asger Ladefoged/Ritzau Scanpix

A report by the ombudsman, which was released earlier this week, said that the processing time for applications had increased from 10 months in 2018 to as much as 3 years.

“That is far too long,” the ombudsman’s office said as the report was released.

“When a foreign doctor from a country outside of the EU or EEA applies for authorisation to work in Denmark, it takes around three years from when the Danish Patient Safety Authority receives the application to when the authority assesses whether the doctor’s training is suitable to be applied in practice,” it wrote.

That is despite the actual assessment of the application taking as little as “between two and five days”, the ombudsman wrote.

The report released by the parliamentary ombudsman’s office comes following an investigation into the issue by the watchdog. The Local has previously reported on the long waits faced by highly qualified foreign medics who seek to practice in Denmark.

READ ALSO: Why does Denmark take so long to authorise foreign medical professionals?

“(Three years) is far too long. Not least when you consider that the cases in reality are sitting still for more or less all of that period and the cases are normally uncomplicated and quick to process,” parliamentary ombudsman Niels Fenger said.

The Ombudsman investigation began in June 2021 following reports in Danish media and parliamentary discussion of the issue, it said.

According to the Danish Patient Safety Authority, longer processing times have occurred as a result of a marked increase in the number of applications, while around one and a half months of the authority’s yearly calendar is allocated to the task.

As a result, an imbalance has occurred between the number of staff and the number of applications which must be processed.

As of June 30th 2021, 1,224 applications were awaiting assessment by the Danish Patient Safety Authority, according to the ombudsman.

The parliamentary watchdog also stated that the Ministry of Health has informed it that it, along with the Patient Safety Authority, is currently looking into ways to reduce the waiting time.

The 2022 budget includes 23.1 million kroner of spending aimed at reducing the backlog of authorisation applications from health personnel from non-EU countries.

The ombudsman said it would review the waiting times again in 2024 to assess whether these initiatives have had the desired effect.

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WORKING IN DENMARK

Why are Danish experts recommending closure of all job centres?

Recommendations made by an expert commission to the government on employment and welfare advocate for closure of all municipal job centres.

Published: 24 June 2024 17:32 CEST
Why are Danish experts recommending closure of all job centres?

Denmark’s job centres, which are responsible for administration of social welfare benefits for people seeking employment and of facilitating training and work placements under welfare lows, should be closed according to recommendations handed to the government on Monday.

Additionally, over half of the current rules related to unemployment benefits should be scrapped and 9 in 10 sanctions for people who fail to comply with criteria such as attending meetings or applying for a set number of jobs.

Denmark has two broad tiers for those out of work: dagpenge, which provides an income calculated on the person’s tax payments while in employment, and the more basic kontanthjælp.

Dagpenge is available to people who a paying members of a semi-private uninsurance provider called an Arbejdsløshedskasse or A-kasse, while kontanthjælp is available to everyone.

Both groups must comply with legal requirements related to job searching in order to receive the benefits they qualify for – these are administered by municipal job centres.

READ ALSO:

When the coalition government took office at the end of 2022 it stated that it wanted to save three billion kroner annually by reforming the municipal unemployment area and improving its efficiency – specifically by targeting job centres.

This has led to an expert group, appointed by the government, making six specific requirements – those announce on Monday.

The government is not obliged to follow the recommendations.

But the expert group says there is much to gain from closing job centres.

“There’s great potential in replacing the current one-size-fits-all system with a new approach where individual needs are in focus,” group chairperson Claus Thustrup Kreiner said in a press statement.

The six broad recommendations are as follows:

  • Fewer target groups and special rules
  • Individual programmes
  • More balanced sanctions system
  • Abolish job centres and introduce free organisation at municipalities
  • Give more influence to A-kasse and private interests
  • Results, not system-based approach

|Source: DR

“Our report includes recommendations for the biggest reform of the jobseeking area ever, and will make the system cheaper, simpler and more dignified without weakening employment,” Kreiner said.

The national confederation for trade unions, Fagbevægelsens Hovedorganisation (FH), criticised the costcutting element of the recommendations in comments to broadcaster DR, and also said it would reduce the options and rights of jobseekers.

“I thought this was about giving unemployed people more freedom to decide what they need,” FH chairperson Nanna Højlund said.

“But the expert group clearly sees it as being about allowing municipalities to do exactly what they want,” she said.

The Confederation of Danish Industry (DI) welcomed the proposals.

“The expert group has proposed a simplification of employment with fewer rules and benefit categories and with a large saving” DI deputy director Steen Nielsen said in a statement.

“That is a good idea because it’s difficult to run a job centre efficiently with the many different criteria and rules that must be met for each of the many categories,” he added.

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