The Danish healthcare system

The pamphlet is available in English.

The pamphlet contains the text in the English and in Danish. In this way, the case manager or health professional can see what the pamphlet contains.

The pamphlet is free of charge, however, there will be costs for shipping. Additionally, the pamplet can be downloaded free of charge.

Correction

14 June 2023

English version

The following text on page 3 in the English version:

"In Denmark, everybody who becomes acutely ill has the right to free treatment at a hospital. This also applies to visitors from other countries. Everyone who has been granted a residence permit and lives in Denmark has free access to the healthcare system. Most examinations and treatments are free of charge."

... has been changed to:

"A person who resides in Denmark has the right to free hospital treatment. A person who is staying in Denmark temporarily, i.e. without having a place of residence in Denmark, can receive acute and continued hospital treatment, but payment is generally charged for these services unless the person has approved documentation for the right to free hospital treatment. The region can provide acute and continued hospital treatment free of charge when, exceptionally, under the circumstances, the region considers it reasonable." 

Languages

English

The Danish healthcare system - English/Danish 

 

Publisher

Danish Health Autority and Danish Cancer Society

3. edition, 2016

 

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The Danish healthcare system

This booklet gives you a brief introduction to the Danish healthcare system as well as information about the places you can go to for examination and treatment if you get sick. You can also read about the preventive examinations you and your family have access to.

A person who resides in Denmark has the right to free hospital treatment. A person who is staying in Denmark temporarily, i.e. without having a place of residence in Denmark, can receive acute and continued hospital treatment, but payment is generally charged for these services unless the person has approved documentation for the right to free hospital treatment. The region can provide acute and continued hospital treatment free of charge when, exceptionally, under the circumstances, the region considers it reasonable. 

Everyone who has been granted a residence permit and lives in Denmark has free access to the healthcare system. Most examinations and treatments are free of charge. Everyone receives a health insurance card from their local municipality. The card must be presented at all visits to doctors, emergency rooms and hospitals. Your name, CPR number and the name and address of your doctor appear on your health insurance card.

Patient confidentiality

Everyone working in the healthcare system is bound by patient confidentiality. This means that they must not discuss your case or illness with others – not even with your spouse, children, or other members of your family. You decide who should be informed about your health. This is why you have to give your permission before your health information can be shared. Patient confidentiality means that you can safely share information about yourself and your illness with doctors and nurses. 

Interpreter

Healthcare professionals must make sure that they understand you and that you understand what is being said. If you do not speak or understand Danish, the doctor will assess the need for an interpreter. You do not have to pay for the interpreter.

Interpreters are neutral and are bound by client confidentiality. As a family member, you will always be deeply involved in the situation of the patient and are therefore unable to provide a neutral translation. Most people are unfamiliar with medical terminology and are therefore unable to offer a precise translation of the doctor’s diagnosis. Family members should therefore not act as interpreters.

General practitioners

Residents in Denmark must choose a doctor as their general practitioner (GP). You can contact your GP in the case of illness. Your GP will take care of much more than disease, for example vaccination and birth control. Your GP can also help prevent the onset of illness caused by obesity, smoking or lack of exercise, etc. Sometimes, your GP might ask you questions that surprises you. That is because the GP would like you to think about what you can do yourself to avoid becoming ill.

Your GP is a specialist in diagnosing and treating the most common conditions and diseases. In most cases, your GP is therefore able to diagnose and treat you correctly. In some cases, however, your GP may send you to a specialist or to a hospital for further treatment. In this case, your GP writes a referral.

Your GP’s name, address and telephone number appear on your health insurance card. Most GP clinics are open between 9.00 a.m. and 4.00 p.m. and have evening consultancy once a week. Usually, you can call between 8.00 and 9.00 a.m. and speak to your GP. Most GPs also have an email consultation where you can ask questions, book an appointment, or renew your prescription. Ask your GP about this.

You can change GP, but you will be charged DKK 190. Normally, you change GP if you move, in which case there is no charge. Log on to www.borger.dk, to choose your GP.

Prescriptions and medicine

Your GP will write you a prescription if you need medicine. Prescription medicine can only be bought at a pharmacy. Some types of medicine, e.g. aspirin and antihistamine tablets, can be bought in pharmacies or supermarkets without a prescription.

Specialists

A medical specialist is an expert in a particular field e.g. skin diseases, gynaecology, or psychiatry. You need to be examined by your own GP before you can be examined and treated by a specialist. If your GP assesses that you need to see a specialist, he or she will write a referral. Your GP will often recommend a specific specialist, but you are free to choose another. The only specialists you do not need a referral to are an eye specialist and an ear, nose and throat specialist. When you have been given a referral, you must call and book the appointment with the specialist.

Psychological counselling

Many people experience the need for advice and psychological support at some point during their life. If you have experienced war, are a refugee, or have experienced major life crises, you may need to consult a psychologist. You must contact your GP, who can refer you to a psychologist. You can also contact your local municipality, the Danish Refugee Council, or the Danish Red Cross.

Hospitals

If you need to be examined or treated at a hospital, you must have a referral from your own GP, a specialist, or the out-of-hours medical service doctor. You will receive a letter in your e-boks informing you where and when to show up. The letter will also tell you whether there are any special requirements prior to your visit – e.g. fasting. If you become acutely ill, you will of course be hospitalised immediately.

You are free to choose between all public hospitals in Denmark. Many hospitals provide leaflets in different languages explaining the patient’s rights and the hospital’s rules. If you need an interpreter, the doctor will assess the need for an interpreter. At the hospital, you can speak to a patient counsellor. The patient counsellor can tell you about different treatments, the possibility of being treated at another hospital, or help you if there is something you do not understand or want to complain about. The patient counsellor is also bound by patient confidentiality.

Sundhed.dk

At www.sundhed.dk you can access information about your own health and illness at any time. For example, you can view your medical records from the hospital and your GP. You must use your NemID to log on to the page. Only you and the healthcare professionals who treat you have access to your information.

Emergency 112

112 is the emergency number you need to call if you need an ambulance. That could be if someone has suddenly become seriously ill or is unconscious. 112 is also the number you need to call in case of serious accidents. You must explain who you are, what has happened, where and when the accident took place, and where you are calling from. There is a free 112 app, which you can download to your phone. If you call using the app, it can help you explain your location to the emergency call centre.

Out-of-hours medical service

If you become ill outside the GP’s opening hours, you can call the out-of-hours medical service. You should only call the out-of-hours medical service if the problem cannot wait until your own GP is available. On the basis of the information you provide over the phone, the out-of-hours medical services will assess whether you need urgent treatment. If the out-of-hours service assesses that you do not need urgent treatment, you will be asked to contact your GP when the clinic reopens. If the out-of-hours service assesses that you are in need of urgent treatment or must be examined by a doctor, you will have to visit the out-of-hours doctor. You must always call to make an appointment before visiting the out-of-hours medical service. The out-of-hours medical service is open from 4.00 p.m. to 8.00 a.m. Monday to Friday, and all day Saturday, Sunday and on public holidays.

Emergency Room, Emergency admissions and Emergency Clinic

Emergency rooms and clinics are for serious injuries that cannot be treated by your own doctor for example a broken finger. Emergency rooms and clinics are often busy, and the most urgent cases are always treated first. You may, therefore, have to wait in the waiting room before seeing the doctor. You must always call before going to the emergency centre.

Psychiatric emergency room

A psychiatric emergency room is for people who have severe psychological problems and require emergency assistance. You can find the nearest psychiatric emergency room on your region’s website. You can call or show up in person.

Preventive examinations for cancer

In Denmark, you have access to free preventive examinations for certain diseases. The purpose of these examinations is to identify early stages of cancer in order to provide better treatment.

All women aged between 23 and 65 will be invited for a free cervical cancer examination. Women aged between 23 and 49 are invited once every three years. Women aged between 50 and 65 are invited once every five years. You will receive a letter inviting you to attend the free examination program. The examination will take place at your GP’s clinic and you will have to make an appointment yourself.  

All women aged between 50 and 69 are invited to attend an X-ray breast cancer examination – known as a mammography – every other year. The invitation letter states the date, time and place of the breast cancer examination.

All men and women aged between 50 and 74 are offered colon cancer examinations. You will receive a sample set in the mail which you will use to make a stool sample. You will also receive an envelope in which to place the sample once you have taken it.

Pregnancy and birth

Pregnant women can be examined by their own GP and by a midwife several times during pregnancy. You make arrangements with your GP about which hospital you want to give birth at. You can also give birth at home with the help of a midwife. Your husband or another person is welcome to attend both the pregnancy examinations and the birth itself. If you need further information on pregnancy and childbirth, you can read more in the Danish Health Authority’s leaflet New in Denmark. Pregnancy and birth, and in the leaflet Healthy habits before, during and after pregnancy, which you can find at www.sst.dk.

Contraception

You can ask your doctor for advice about contraception. Your doctor can give you a prescription for the type of contraception that is best for you. Remember that your doctor is bound by patient confidentiality.

Abortion

In Denmark, women are entitled to free abortion within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. If you are over 18, you alone decide whether or not you want to have an abortion. No explanation is required in order to have the abortion. Healthcare professionals are bound by patient confidentiality and must not discuss your abortion with your partner or your family. If you want an abortion, you must contact your own GP, who will then refer you to the hospital or gynaecologist.

Health examinations and vaccinations of your child

In Denmark, there are a number of free health services available to children. For example, you can ask for a health visitor to visit you in the home after you have given birth, and during the child’s first year of life. All children are also offered vaccinations and medical examinations by the doctor. The aim of vaccinations and examinations is to help keep your child fit and healthy. You can read more about the offers available for children in the leaflet New in Denmark. Health Guidelines for Parents with small children and in the leaflet Healthy children in a new country, published by the Danish Health Authority, which you can find at www.sst.dk.

Medical examinations for children at school

When your child starts school, it will be examined by a health visitor during the first year of school. It is important that you participate in the examination together with your child. The health visitor will examine your child and talk to you about your child’s overall state of health. The child will be measured and weighed and undergo an eye and hearing test. These tests will be repeated during your child’s time at school. You will always be informed before the child is examined by the health visitor.

If, at some point, your child experiences problems at school, you can discuss the matter with your child’s teachers. They will help to identify the kind of help your child needs.

Dentists

Children have access to free dental treatment. All children in Denmark receive a letter with an invitation to see the dentist when they are around two years old. If your children experience problems with its teeth earlier than that, you can contact the children’s dentists in your local municipalities. You can ask your health visitor.

Once you have reached the age of 18, you must pay for dental treatment. You will need to call your dentist and book an appointment. The cost of dental treatment varies, depending on the treatment you require.

Municipal support and care at home

In Denmark, it is customary for the municipalities to take care of the elderly, just as the public sector cares for children and the sick. There are special services available to elderly people in need of care and support. You will have to contact your local municipality if you need help.

Home care

Elderly people can apply for home care, e.g. personal care, cleaning or buying groceries. The same service is available if you are very ill. You must apply to your local municipality for help.

If you have a physical problem or a disability that can be remedied with the help of physical aids, you can apply to your local municipality and ask to borrow such an aid. This could be a wheelchair, a raised toilet seat, or arm and leg prosthetics.

Home nurse

Elderly people can get help for personal care and medicine in their own home from a home nurse. The same service is available if you are very ill. It is your GP who assesses whether you need help from a home nurse. If you have been admitted to hospital, you may need home care or a home nurse when you return home. As a general rule, the hospital contacts the local municipality in order to provide the help you need.