New figures from the Danish Health Data Authority (Sundhedsdatastyrelsen), published by the Ministry of Health on Monday, show that the average waiting times for an operation or hospital treatment for a physical illness fell by 4 days between the first and second quarters of 2024.
The new average waiting time of 44 days is now three days short of the target of returning to pre-pandemic levels.
In a statement Health Minister Sophie Løhde said the new figures were cause for optimism.
“I certainly believe that we will reach the target and bring down the waiting time as we have promised patients. That would be an important milestone in our work to normalise waiting times, which have been too long since Covid-19,” she said.
The government and the national body for the regional health authorities, Danske Regioner, last year agreed on a two-billion kroner spending plan aimed at solving acute issues in the health system, including waiting times.
The new figures from the Danish Health Data Authority also show waiting times for initial investigations are falling. In the second quarter of this year, 79 percent of patient referrals received investigation within the set standard for minimum waiting time. That was 2 percent higher than in the first quarter.
“The point of being treated is to have your condition investigated and receive the right diagnosis. And we can now fortunately see that more patients are being seen quickly,” Løhde said.
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