Healthcare News in Brief: Hospitals in crisis, claims DR investigation

In other news, more young girls are getting the HPV jab, concerns are growing over foreign doctors unable to understand Danish and new legislation should enable terminally-ill patients to die with dignity

Ben Hamilton

Jul 3, 2017

A series of reports by DR P4 København is weighing up the pros and cons of Denmark’s new Health Platform, along with its already controversial IT system, and it does not make pretty reading, according to experts. While officials are confident it will yield a better overview of patients and save millions of kroner – 102 million kroner at the Capital Region’s hospitals in 2018, for example – it has been widely criticised for losing data, making A&E waiting times longer, issuing erroneous medication, and being unable to treat the same number of patients as before.

More young teens getting HPV jab
The number of girls aged 12-17 getting HPV vaccinations shot up over the spring, with an average 4,200 getting the jab every month between March and May – a much higher rate than previously. Overall, the rate among girls born in 2003 and 2004 is increasing – a good sign claims State Serum Institute and proof recent campaigns have been working.

Mammogram alert in Viborg
Some 3,220 women who have had a mammogram at Regionshospitalet Viborg since July 2015 will shortly be informed by Region Midtjylland to come in to be re-examined. There is a chance their breast cancer was undetected in the test. All 3,220 were examined by the same doctor who has subsequently resigned over multiple errors in his work.

Nurses applaud terminally-ill medication legislation
The nursing organisation Dansk Sygeplejeråd (DSR) has applauded proposed legislation that would enable terminally-ill patients to opt out of treatment that will prolong their lives. “The current legislation could result in the patient suffering a terrible and undignified death,” DSR vice-chair Anni Pilgaard told media. The government parties hope to pass the legislation with the help of Socialdemokratiet and Dansk Folkeparti.

Foreign doctor concerns
The nursing organisation Dansk Sygeplejeråd (DSR) has expressed concern over the ability of foreign doctors to be understood by both patients and staff when they are communicating in Danish – particularly those from Lithuania, Poland and Russia. The admission follows a case in which patient safety board Styrelsen for Patientsikkerhed moved to prevent Slagelse Sygehus from treating patients afflicted by neurological conditions such as epilepsy, meningitis and strokes.