The Health Structure Commission is now ready with their recommendations for the future healthcare system. The Commission has developed three possible models for organization, two of which involve the abolition of the current regions. In one model, the regions are proposed to be replaced by 8-10 new health and care regions, while the other model aims for central control without regional layers. The third model suggests keeping the regions but with changes, such as increased municipal involvement in healthcare tasks. The recommendations were announced at Holbæk Hospital, where Jesper Fisker, director of the Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse) and chairman of the commission, presented them. He believes that implementing these recommendations could lead to a significantly strengthened healthcare system. “We have the opportunity to lift the Danish healthcare system into a rather fine future,” Fisker stated at the press conference. The government is expected to present a major proposal for a healthcare reform based on the commission’s recommendations later this year.
In addition to the three models for organization, the commission also proposes more general practitioners and clinics as well as more accessible healthcare services. A national health plan that will establish a strategic direction for resource allocation is also among the proposals. Furthermore, it is recommended that psychiatry be integrated organizationally into the overall hospital system. There have been discussions within the government about the future of the regions. The Moderates have wanted to abolish the regions, while the Social Democrats (Socialdemokratiet) and Venstre have argued for their preservation.