On Thursday, a message will be sent to the digital mailboxes of all GPs in the Capital Region of Denmark, informing them of the new minimum patient quota for their practice.
One of the objectives of healthcare reform is to strengthen general practice and reduce geographical inequalities, for example, by ensuring that GPs in areas with sicker populations have fewer patients than those in areas with less sick populations.
This means that many GPs in the Capital Region of Denmark will now have a minimum patient quota exceeding the previously set limit of 1,600 patients. Patient quotas have been set after a lengthy consultation process between the Region and doctors, based on the Danish Health Data Authority's recommended minimum patient quota.
Karin Friis Bach, chair of the Capital Region of Denmark's committee for the local and coherent healthcare system, states that the Region understands that GPs are tired of having to meet a higher minimum quota than they do today.
“We are faced with a complex task as a result of the healthcare reform, which we have tried to solve in the best possible way in dialogue with the GPs in the Region. We have listened to doctors' individual needs and circumstances, and for the vast majority, we have set minimum quotas we hope they can accept. However, for a small group of doctors, we realise that we are asking them to accept new minimum quotas that are higher than what they initially wanted to accept," says Karin Friis Bach (Danish Social Liberal Party).
354 of the Region's 564 GP practices will be subject to a new minimum patient quota higher than the current 1,600. Most doctors currently have more than 1,600 patients, but many want to retain the flexibility to have fewer than they do today.
Facts about the calculations for minimum patient quotas
- The Danish Health Data Authority has calculated an indicative patient quota for each practice, based on patients’ treatment needs, for all doctors in Denmark. The Capital Region of Denmark’s administration has communicated this figure to each medical practice, inviting them to participate in a consultation process to provide comments and recommendations on patient quotas. Subsequently, the Region sent a proposal for individual minimum patient quotas for consultation with the individual practices.
- Of the Region’s 564 GP clinics, 160 requested fewer patients than the Region’s original proposal.
- 502 practices end up with fewer patients than the Region expects to accept, based on prior discussions with the doctors.
- 354 have been assigned minimum patient quotas, exceeding the previous norm of 1,600 patients per medical administration unit.
- The doctor with the highest minimum patient quota in the Capital Region of Denmark has been allocated 2,265 patients.
- Bornholm is a special focus area with limited doctor coverage, and the Danish Health Data Authority recommends a significantly lower minimum patient quota there than practices currently have. Efforts are being made to ensure adequate medical coverage on the island. Currently, the Region has opened two medical administration units and the area is being closely monitored.