Lars Løkke Rasmussen: Health reform will end with a new solution
Lars Løkke Rasmussen, leader of the Moderates (Conservatives), predicts that the planned restructuring of the Danish healthcare system will take a different turn than the three proposals presented by the Health Structure Commission. During a conversation at the People’s Meeting in Allinge, he stated that he expects a fourth solution. On the main stage in Allinge, Løkke explained to Politiken’s journalist Elisabet Svane that he sees a different path than the proposals presented by the Health Structure Commission on Tuesday in Holbæk. The commission’s chairman, Jesper Fisker, has presented three models, two of which involve the abolition of the regions and the establishment of 8-10 new units to take over some of the healthcare system’s tasks.
Health Minister Sophie Løhde has already expressed opposition to moving the care sector away from the municipalities, and Løkke Rasmussen is also not yet taking a stand on the specific models. He believes that a more nuanced approach is needed. Løkke Rasmussen pointed out that although Denmark has a good hospital system, there are significant challenges in primary healthcare, especially in general practice, which is struggling in many parts of the country. He argued that the future healthcare system should focus on improving everything that happens outside the hospitals, including the role of municipalities, general practice, and the interaction with hospitals.
The leader of the Moderates, who was involved in establishing the regions almost 20 years ago, supports the commission’s proposal to abolish the regions, as he believes that the future healthcare system should be closer to the citizens and strengthen the cooperation between municipalities, hospitals, and general practice. Løkke Rasmussen emphasized that it is not only about structure but also about organization. He mentioned as an example that there is an uneven distribution of doctors in Denmark, with many doctors in areas with fewer sick people and too few doctors in areas with many sick people. “It’s not just about structure. It’s also about organization,” Løkke Rasmussen concluded, emphasizing the need to find a model that can better handle these challenges.