Your rights as a patient (C)

The region in which you live is, as far as possible, responsible for ensuring that you receive an offer of treatment within the maximum waiting times.

If the hospital to which you have been referred cannot offer you the treatment within the maximum waiting times, the hospital must offer you a referral to another public or private hospital in Denmark or abroad within the maximum waiting times. If the hospital cannot find a public or private hospital, the hospital must contact the Danish Health and Medicines Authority (if this is what you wish).

Maximum waiting times:

1. Examination in the case of suspected cancer: 2 weeks from the day the hospital has received a referral for a preliminary examination to the day the hospital has offered to start an examination.
2. Operation: Two weeks from the day on which you consented to the operation to the day the hospital has offered to operate, and no later than 4 weeks from the day the hospital has received a referral.
3. Medical treatment (as a first treatment): Two weeks from the day on which you consented to medical treatment to the day the hospital has offered to start treatment, and no later than 4 weeks from the day the hospital has received a referral.
4. Radiation treatment (as a first treatment): 2 weeks from the day the patient has given consent to the radiotherapy to the day the hospital has offered to start the treatment, and no later than 4 weeks from the day the hospital has received a referral for radiotherapy.
5. Radiation treatment or medical treatment (as a subsequent treatment): 2 weeks from the day the patient has given consent to subsequent treatment to the day the hospital has offered to start treatment, and no later than 4 weeks from the day the hospital has received a referral for follow-up treatment.

Concurrent to your right to maximum waiting times for treatment you are entitled to a medical examination and a diagnosis within 30 days if professionally possible.

As a patient, you are basically free to choose from any of the public hospitals throughout Denmark. However, a hospital department may refuse patients if that department has significantly longer waiting times for the treatment in question than other similar departments.

If you wish to exercise your free choice of another public hospital, please contact the department/hospital on the telephone number you were given in your appointment letter.

Generally speaking, you must make your own way to and from the hospital for treatment.

You can read more in Danish at www.befordring.rm.dk.

Please go to www.data.rm.dk to see how we treat and protect your data (in Danish).

If you do not live in the Central Denmark Region, you must contact the patient office for the region in which you live in order to receive information about your options: www.andreregioner.rm.dk.