Today’s news / Delays in tissue sample testing exceed recommendations
"The problem is a mismatch between the scope of work tasks and the number of hands," says Trine Tramm, who is a senior doctor in the Pathology department at Aarhus University Hospital (AUH). Photo: Mikkel Berg Pedersen/Ritzau Scanpix

Delays in tissue sample testing exceed recommendations

Region Midtjylland is experiencing longer than recommended waiting times for tissue sample analysis due to a shortage of pathologists. According to Jyllands-Posten, a note to the regional council highlights this issue, which is also described as a national problem by Trine Tramm, chairperson of the Danish Pathology Society and consultant at Aarhus University Hospital. Cancer treatments are occupying a significant portion of the pathologists’ workload. Consequently, patients at Aarhus University Hospital may wait 20-30 days for results on routine skin conditions or breast lumps. The Pathology Department at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen reports up to 15-day wait times for results. Denmark had around 250 pathologists in 2021, with an estimated need for 500 by 2045. To address this, the Central Denmark Region is considering additional training for pathologists, increased digitalization, and forming teams across pathology departments to manage peak times.