Chronic pain, cognitive difficulties, sleep disturbances or anxiety and depression are some of the late complications that more and more Danes are experiencing.
As we get older, more people develop a serious illness. At the same time, more people survive their illness and continue to live with physical and psychological effects that can affect their quality of life, functional ability and their participation in everyday life.
From Cancer Plan V, we know that 60 per cent of all cancer survivors experience late complications. Furthermore, there are a number of other serious diseases that also cause late complications.
Encompassing more than cancer
Therefore, a vision for addressing late complications has been adopted across the two eastern Danish regions, which will be effective from 1 January 2027 in the Region of Eastern Denmark. Anne Møller Ronex, Chair of the Hospital Committee in Region Zealand, which approved the vision on 8 September, is delighted that a broad view of late complications and equal access to treatment is being taken.
“The vision is that the Region of Eastern Denmark will ensure equality by supporting patients who need help with late complications to have equal access to effective, high-quality treatment options, regardless of diagnosis, age, place of residence or social background,” says Anne Møller Ronex.
“Many patients with late complications have the same symptoms, which is why we need to be inclusive and not just focus on cancer patients. For example, patients with late complications of heart disease can experience the same types of physical, psychological and social challenges as patients with late complications from cancer".
"At the same time, there will be specific late complications that are linked to a specific organ or treatment and are therefore not similar. They still need to be treated at a specialised late complications clinic, for example,” says Anne Møller Ronex.
Early intervention
The Health Committee in the Capital Region of Denmark approved the vision on 2 September, and Chair Christoffer Buster Reinhardt emphasises the importance of early intervention.
“We see a growing need for prevention, early detection and treatment of late complications. Therefore, we need to intervene as early as possible to prevent the late complications from developing into something more serious and requiring a more significant and more specialised intervention".
"We want as many people as possible to be helped early and close to where they live. Whether it’s in the municipality, in an offer under the auspices of the future health councils or with the GP,” says Christoffer Buster Reinhardt, who is now looking forward to the work of putting the visions into practice.
Facts - benchmarks
The vision proposes five key milestones that will form the framework for further development in the field of late complications.
- Better sector collaboration
- Increased focus on prevention, prehabilitation and self-management
- Detection and monitoring of late complications using data
- More knowledge
- Stepped care in the treatment of late complications
Facts - broad anchoring
- A shared vision for the field of late complications in the Region of Eastern Denmark has been developed by a working group comprising clinicians from the Capital Region of Denmark and Region Zealand across various specialities, in close collaboration with professionals, researchers, and other partners.
- The working group behind the vision has been broadly comprised of representatives from the healthcare councils for Oncology, Cardiology, Pulmonary Diseases and Surgery, as well as the Late Complications Association, the Danish Heart Foundation and the Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliation.
- The matter was dealt with in parallel in the two regions at a meeting of the Hospital Committee in Region Zealand on 8 September 2025 and the Health Committee in the Capital Region of Denmark on 2 September 2025. It has been approved in both committees.