12bn kroner in public sector efficiency gains
Schools, hospitals and other public institutions can expect to have their every step thoroughly analysed in the years to come as the state seeks to find the 12 billion kroner in efficiency gains identified by the Produktivitetskommission yesterday. In releasing its findings for how the state can save money through improved efficiency, the government-seated panel concluded there were currently no comparable data that allowed institutions to emulate each other’s improvements. – Børsen
READ FULL STORY: Productivity commission attacks bureaucracy
Efficiency through flexibility
A Prodkutitvitetskomission (see above) proposal to give individual institutions increased flexibility when establishing pay and working conditions is being greeted warmly by the government, which says that result-based pay in particular would help increase public-sector efficiency. Both the finance minister and the economy minister said they were open to tinkering with the collective-bargaining system, but stressed that employees and unions needed to be considered when making changes. – Berlingske Business
Criticism of cancer treatment limitation
Regional health councils have been criticised by a team of prostate cancer specialists for preventing certain patients from receiving a new form of medication. In approving treatment with the medication Xtandi, which costs 1,000 kroner per day to use, regional councils said it would not be made available to individuals who had already been treated with Zytiga, another form of medication. Doctors said there was no medical argument for not treating prostate cancer with the new form of medication, leaving the only explanation for the decision to be financial considerations. A spokesperson for regional councils said studies showed that giving both medications showed no benefit. – Jyllands-Posten
SEE RELATED: Test may prevent needless cancer surgeries
Poll: PM gaining ground, but still trailing
PM Helle Thorning-Schimdt (Socialdemokraterne) has registered her largest gain ever in head-to-head popularity ratings against opposition leader Lars Løkke Rasmussen (Venstre). Since June, Thorning-Schmidt has closed the popularity gap with Rasmussen by 10 percentage points, and now trails the former PM by a margin of 39.5 to 24.5, according to an A&B/Altinget.dk poll. Another 31.7 percent of voters indicated they preferred neither of the two party leaders as prime minister. The narrowing gap comes after a number of political gaffes by Rasmussen saw his popularity decline 4.5 percent, while the PM rose 5.5 percent after government initiatives passed this spring began to show results. Popularity ratings comparing the two politicians have been made since 2009. – Altinget.dk
SEE RELATED: DF surges in latest poll
City criticised for putting finances first
The City Council is being criticised for thinking about its budget first when deciding whether a student is ready to begin upper-secondary school. Between 2012 and 2013, 17.6 percent fewer students finishing 9th grade were approved to take classes at a produktionsskole, a form of remedial preparatory school. The decline comes after the city sent a memo to counsellors stating that prodkutionsskole enrolments, which cost more per student than other types of schools, were straining the school budget. An Education Ministry official said it had received complaints from Copenhagen parents and was considering asking the city to explain the sudden decline. – Politiken
Strategy to keep manufacturing jobs at home
Keeping manufacturing jobs in Denmark is crucial to the country’s economic health, the business and growth minister, Henrik Sass Larsen (Socialdemokraterne), says. By the end of the year, Larsen hopes to present a strategy for how to stem the loss of manufacturing jobs. The statements come in the wake of an announcement last week that meatpacker Danish Crown had given employees at its Horsens, Jutland, plant an ultimatum that they accept pay cuts or the company would shutter operations there. Executives at major manufacturers said they welcomed the initiative. – Berlingkse Business
