The Danish health system has certain parallels with the NHS – not least as both are mainly funded by taxpayers.
The two nations also face similar challenges when considering the overall health of the population. Alcohol consumption is similar in both nations, though obesity levels in Denmark are lower and smoking rates are higher. (One Danish health leader told me that they were envious of UK initiatives on smoking, with the minimum age for tobacco sales rising each year.)
However, there are certain challenges specific to the UK: the population of England, for example, is nearly 10 times larger than Denmark’s population. And the NHS is a complex organisation.
Still, ministers have made no secret of their interest in the Danish system, with an official visit earlier this year.
Wes Streeting, the UK Health Secretary, says: “Denmark’s healthcare system is known the world over for its excellence, having transformed outcomes through its cancer plans, and Health Minister Karin Smyth’s trip to the country earlier this year offered us vital insights up close.”
Mr Streeting says these insights have “fed into” government health plans to “speed up cancer diagnoses and deliver cutting edge treatments to the NHS front line quicker”.