In mid-June, the Health Structure Commission will present its proposals on how the future Danish healthcare system can be organized. This was announced by the commission’s chairman, Jesper Fisker, during a meeting with municipal leaders organized by the Danish Local Government Association. Jesper Fisker, who is also the CEO of the Danish Cancer Society, expects that the proposals will spark lively debates. “You are welcome to criticize us as much as you want,” he said, emphasizing the importance of constructive dialogue afterwards: “But once the dust has settled, promise me that you will also discuss how we solve the problems.” The commission, established in March 2023, is not tasked with ranking the different models for healthcare, but rather describing them. “There will be some who prefer some models over others. That discussion needs to happen, and I look forward to it,” Fisker explained.
One of the major topics of discussion is the future role of the regions. There are divided opinions among the government parties; the Moderates want to abolish the regions, while both the Liberal Party and the Social Democrats see a continued role for them. Furthermore, there is also debate on how tasks should be divided between municipalities and regions, especially in relation to primary healthcare and hospital care. Fisker also pointed out that the healthcare system faces several challenges, including an aging population, an increase in the number of patients with multiple illnesses and chronic conditions, and a lack of coherence between the different parts of the healthcare system. A particular concern is the shortage of healthcare and elderly care personnel, especially social and healthcare assistants (sosu’er), which according to Fisker, will become a critical shortage in the coming years.
With these proposals, the Health Structure Commission hopes to strengthen primary healthcare and ensure that hospitals are primarily used by the most severely ill patients, which will be crucial in addressing future challenges in the healthcare system.