DF supports allowing A & E visits without calling first

System of requiring calling ahead to emergency rooms does not yield enough bang for buck

If hospital regions want to drop the system that requires patients to call ahead for emergency room visits, Dansk Folkeparti (DF) believes they should be able to pull the plug. DF health spokesperson Liselott Blixt agreed with Carl Holst, the hospital regions’ chairperson, that it was time to drop the one-year-old program.

“I think it should be stopped,” Blixt told DR Nyheder. “There have been fatal errors and stories of people turning up for treatment who were told they had to call first.”

Too expensive
Holst recently said the call-ahead plan has not produced the desired drop in emergency room visits and has been a nuisance to the public. He plans to ask Nick Hækkerup, the health minister, for permission to permit regions to once again allow free access to emergency wards.

“We can see that the current program doesn’t work at all for some of the regions, but we continue to pour money into it,” Blixt said.

READ MORE: Hospital denied woman who didn’t call ahead

The telephone pre-diagnosis plan costs the Region Syddanmark hospital approximately 18 million kroner annually for nurses and doctors to maintain around-the-clock telephone lines.

The number of visits to the region’s emergency rooms and clinics fell by approximately 10 percent in the period 1 April 2014 to 1 January 2015 – a decrease that Blixt and Holst both say does not justify the cost of operating the program.




  • The international who shaped Copenhagen

    The international who shaped Copenhagen

    Anna Maria Indrio is one of the most important architects in Denmark, having contributed to shaping Copenhagen into what it is today. Among her best-known projects are the extension of SMK and Arken, as well as the Natural History Museum and the Darwin Centre in London. She moved here 60 years ago, when “Copenhagen was gray and dormant. Predictions suggested it would become depopulated. But putting people at the center changed everything,” she said

  • Danish government passes amendment to increase citizenship fee by 50%

    Danish government passes amendment to increase citizenship fee by 50%

    Fees were raised to reflect processing costs and curb repeat applications, creating debate over whether the new charges erect barriers to political participation for internationals.

  • Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    Internationals’ labour contributes 361 billion DKK to Denmark’s GDP, and it is growing strongly every year

    According to a report by the Danish Chamber of Commerce, internationals’ contribution is 12% of the country’s GDP. In 2023, it was 322 billion DKK, and in 2008, it was 136 billion DKK. “Internationals make a gigantic difference in our prosperity and welfare,” comments Morten Langager, the Director of Dansk Erhverv.

  • Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    Inside Denmark’s innovation engine

    With half of its staff being international, the BioInnovation Institute reflects Denmark’s broader transformation into a global innovation hub. But can the country—and Europe—keep up the pace? “If reforms are made now, we can close the gap in ten years,” explains BII’s CEO

  • Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Denmark launches massive investment in the navy

    Two months ago, the Danish PM announced that military equipment should be purchased in a hurry. The first plans for the sea are now ready. Additional plans for warships will follow this summer.

  • International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    International designers struggle to find jobs in Denmark

    Many internationals come to Denmark to work as designers, but the field appears to be one of the hardest to break into. The Copenhagen Post spoke with two internationals struggling to find their way into the industry.

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.