This document summarizes the Danish health care system and framework for investments in hospital infrastructure from 2008 to 2020. It outlines that Denmark has a public health care system financed by taxes with 5 regions and 39 hospitals serving 5.5 million people. It also describes trends toward centralizing specialized services and decentralizing primary care. The document details a 41.4 billion Danish krone investment in new and renovated hospitals to improve patient safety, workflows and resources through centralized planning and knowledge sharing across regions.

1. The Danish health care system and
framework for investments in a new
hospital structure in Denmark: 2008 2020
Advisor Emilie Winther,
Centre for Health technology, Procurement and Regional
Development, Danish Regions
eew@regioner.dk
www.regioner.dk

2. Danish Regions
• Interest organisation
of the 5 regions in
Denmark
• 170 employees
• Established in 2006
• (Association of the
Counties was
established in 1913…
and closed down in
2006)
www.regioner.dk

3. The 5 regions
5,5 mio.
Danes
39
hospitals
104,000
FTE
www.regioner.dk

4. Basic principles in Danish Healthcare
•
•
•
•
•
•
A public health care system
Free and equal access for all citizens
Freedom of choice
Mainly financed through general taxes
Decentralized organization
General practitioners as gatekeeper
www.regioner.dk

5. Trends
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Reduction in number of hospitals and beds
Centralization and specialization
Fewer hospitals with ED’s
Focus on pre-hospital emergency care
Focus on intermediate care
Hospitals to be renovated + new hospitals
GP’s collaborating in larger clinics
Huge increase in outpatient visits
www.regioner.dk

6. The historic time for length of stay
1954-2010
Liggetid 1954-2010
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Kilde: Sygehusvæsenet i dansk politik, Sundhedssektoren i tal diverse
årgange, tal på sundhed 1. april 2011.
www.regioner.dk

7. Investments are necessary
www.regioner.dk

8. The future hospital structure in
Denmark
Centralisation in terms of:
-A reduction in the number of hospitals
-Reduction of hospitals with highly specialised
functions and emergency wards
Decentralisation in terms of:
-Strengthening the pre-hospital capacity
-Strengthening the role of the GP’s (gate keeper)
-Co-operation with local municipalities
www.regioner.dk

9. New and modernized hospitals
Better planned patient pathways
Patient safety (i.e. single rooms will reduce infections)
Effective workflows through new technology/health innovation
Fewer transports of patients, staff and goods
Rationalization of staff on duty 24 h., laboratory functions, X-ray
Better use of equipment, scanners, labs and apparatus
Merging of administrative units and technical functions
www.regioner.dk

10. Finance and 16 big hospital
construction projects
• 41.4 billion Danish kroner = 5.5 billion euros
• 60 % from the government and 40 % from the regions
• Expert panel assessed the applications for each project
• 16 construction projects got an intermediary commitment
• 14 out of 16 projects now have the final commitment
• 22 construction projects financed solely by the regions
• The total conversion of the Danish health care system =
dynamic process lasting the next 10-15 years
www.regioner.dk

11. New and modernized hospitals
Modernization
/ extensions:
9
New builds
/ greenfield:
7
www.regioner.dk

12. Sharing knowledge and developing
new shared solutions
• Danish Regions launched an ambitious project on
sharing knowledge in hospital building in the end
of 2010
• The purpose is to strengthen that the regions
systematic share knowledge on central elements
in hospital building
• When appropriate the regions join and develop
shared solutions for the building projects
www.regioner.dk

13. 10 landmarks for sharing knowledge
about hospital building
Joint purchase for hospital building
• Handling medicine
• Production of sterile goods
• Life cycle costs
• Best practice standards for types of rooms
• Virtual hospital
• Joint tools for the building process
• Transport technologies
• Tracing of equipment, apparatus, patients and staff
• Interaction with patients and relatives supported by new
www.regioner.dk
technology
•

14. 8 focus areas for developing the
content in the new hospitals
- Organizational structure with the patients’ needs in the
middle
- New forms of management
- Boundaries and interaction with the other parts of the
health care sector
- Emergency departments and organizing the acute
treatment / care
- Easy and quick access to diagnostics in hospitals
- Workflows in operating rooms
- Workflows in day clinics / outpatient clinics
- Offices and mobile working stations
www.regioner.dk

15. www.danishhospitalconstruction.com
- Short on the framework and terms for the construction
projects
- Status of the building projects – follow the construction
processes
- Contact persons for each construction projects
- Information about the knowledge sharing project
- Catalogue of interior designs for different hospital rooms
- Expected time for procurements
- Relevant conferences and courses
www.regioner.dk

16. Thank you for your attention
Questions?
E-mail: eew@regioner.dk
www.regioner.dk