On the Sunday evening prior to the Danish election, Helle Thorning-Schmidt and Lars Løkke Rasmussen were again face-to-face in a debate on DR1. Many important topics were discussed. But they 'forgot' one. The question of how we are to afford expensive medicine in the future.

2015.06.24

By Allan Flyvbjerg, Dean and Professor, Health, Aarhus University

Even though it is one of the biggest challenges facing the healthcare system, neither of the two Danish prime minister candidates apparently thought it was important enough to discuss.

Yet the figures speak for themselves. In eight years the cost of hospital medicine has doubled in price, so we are now spending DKK eight billion on hospital medicine. Over the next five years this expenditure is expected to increase by a further DKK six billion. That really is a lot of money. Nevertheless, both Helle Thorning Schmidt and Lars Rasmussen have recently denied that there is a need to prioritise in this area.

This important question was therefore conspicuous by its absence in the debate.  But that does not make the question less urgent. Talking about prioritising when this is a matter of life or death is a sensitive topic. It makes us uncomfortable to think about having to do without expensive medicine which maybe works, or which can extend a cancer patient’s life by a couple of months. But the alternative is worse. Already now we are seeing the consequences of expensive medicine eating into hospital budgets: Several regions have announced rounds of dismissals or a job freeze, which will affect many Danish patients.

In Norway and the UK they have national schemes that make it possible for doctors to prioritise treatment. We should also work towards this in Denmark. A crucial first step on this path is for our politicians to dare to look at the reality of this, instead of sweeping the subject under the carpet in an election campaign.

Published in Jyllandsposten on 11 June 2015