One in Seven Hospital Referrals Turned Away in Denmark

Patients in Denmark face higher risks of hospital referral rejections.

Danish hospitals turned away 200,000 referred patients last year.

This equals about one in seven patients.

The Local reported these figures from Jyllands-Posten.

Before 2018, hospitals accepted almost all patient referrals.

Since then, rejection numbers have increased sharply.

Doctor referrals are rejected for lacking specificity or failing criteria.

Rejections also happen when doctors cannot pinpoint exact symptom origins.

This affects cases with suspected cancer or heart disease.

Psychiatric, neurological, and internal medicine departments show higher rejection rates.

Patients with arthritis or stomach issues also face more rejections.

General Practitioners chairman Jørgen Skadborg criticized the trend.

He said rejections harm patients and delay vital treatments.

He called for new laws to limit hospital rejection rates.

Health Minister Ida Auken acknowledged the problem to Jyllands-Posten.

She stated that rejected patients get tossed around the system.

She urged better cooperation between family doctors and hospitals.