Denmark faces healthcare challenges as government shifts responsibilities from municipalities to regions

The future of healthcare in Denmark is facing challenges beyond just the uneven distribution of doctors. With the government’s plan to transfer acute nursing responsibilities from municipalities to regions, there are concerns about a worsening shortage of social and healthcare assistants. Critics, including Tanja Nielsen, head of the social and health sector at FOA, argue that this shift will drive skilled assistants to seek jobs in regions rather than municipalities, leaving local councils with fewer competent staff and complicating recruitment efforts.

Current shortages already result in canceled visits to elderly residents, according to Odsherred Mayor Karina Vincentz, who warns that the situation will only deteriorate. The government has focused heavily on the lack of doctors recently, but several are cautioning that a central point in their healthcare proposal could exacerbate the existing shortage of social and healthcare workers.

The government suggests that regions take over several health responsibilities currently held by municipalities, including acute nursing. According to projections from the Ministry of Finance, Denmark could face a shortage of 14,500 social and healthcare assistants by 2035, which will impact basic care for the elderly.

Recruitment challenges are evident, with recent data showing that nearly one in five job postings for social and healthcare assistants in municipalities receive no suitable applications. Sidsel Vinge, a consultant, says the nursing tasks remaining in municipalities will likely be less appealing compared to acute care, making recruitment even more difficult.

While recent initiatives, like a proposed salary increase for assistants, have been introduced, some argue that more focused strategies are needed to ensure adequate staffing without shifting emergency care away from municipalities. The Health Minister acknowledges that not all municipalities manage acute care effectively and emphasizes that the aim is to ensure comprehensive, around-the-clock services for vulnerable populations, including the elderly.