New reports from the Ministry of Health show that a record 99.9 percent of cancer patients in Denmark are being operated on within the set time frame. According to the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), the rules for maximum waiting times were met in 99.9 percent of the 58,923 cancer treatments that took place in the first quarter of this year. These new figures are the result of a recently introduced monitoring model, implemented on January 1st of this year, which aims to ensure that patients do not wait longer than necessary for treatment.
The monitoring model requires regions to report all cases where a cancer patient waits longer than the maximum waiting times to the Danish Health Authority. This applies even if the patient has chosen to postpone the treatment or has accepted a longer waiting time. According to the guidelines, there should be a maximum of 14 days from a cancer patient accepting surgery to the operation taking place.
The introduction of the monitoring model followed an exposé by DR last year, where over 300 cancer patients waited longer than allowed for surgeries at an abdominal and colorectal surgical department without it being reported to the authorities. At that time, the hospital explained that the patients themselves had accepted the extended waiting time.
Aside from surgeries, the same 14-day deadline also applies to the start of investigations after receiving a referral. In the first three months of the year, this deadline was met in 95.2 percent of patient cases. However, the Danish Health Authority has pointed out that in the remaining 4.7 percent, the rules were technically met because patients either wanted to postpone the treatment themselves or there were medical reasons for the delay. Additionally, hospitals can fulfill their duty by referring patients to other hospitals.
Overall, it was only 0.1 percent of all cancer treatments, equivalent to 66 cases, where the rules were not met. This demonstrates a significant improvement in meeting the maximum waiting times for cancer patients in Denmark, which is positive news for both patients and the healthcare system.