Regions reject transformation, want more health tasks

Danish Regions refuse the transformation or dissolution proposed by the Health Structure Commission, instead suggesting a fourth model to centralize more health responsibilities in the current five regions. Chairman Anders Kühnau highlights the lack of coherence in the proposed models, risking quality in hospitals. The government’s proposal, to be presented post-summer, may initiate the biggest reform in 20 years, amid political controversies within the ruling parties. One model suggests replacing regions with 8-10 health regions, another centralizes control. The Commission recommends regions focus solely on health, excluding areas like climate, transport and education. Danish Regions criticize this, fearing a repeat of the 2007 structural reform’s mistakes, which led to serious environmental issues and reduced specialized social services. Vice-chair Mads Duedahl argues that there’s no justification for stripping regional politicians of diverse responsibilities and that many tasks are too large for municipalities but ill-suited for national administration.