Region Østdanmark council signs first budget agreement

Nearly all parties on the preparatory council for Denmark’s new Region Østdanmark have signed its first budget agreement, with the Danish People’s Party standing outside the deal.

The agreement focuses on reducing inequality in healthcare. Regional council chairman Lars Gaardhøj of the Social Democrats said the differences in access had become too large and that funding should go where needs were greatest. The plan includes stronger dementia and cancer treatment.

From next year, the agreement will provide an additional 768 million kroner for healthcare in the southern and western parts of the region. Conservative representative Christoffer Buster Reinhardt said it would also bring a new hospice to Zealand and more medical specialists across the region. SF representative Peter Westermann said the deal allocates funding for social workers in doctors’ practices in Nakskov and Nykøbing Sjælland.

“

Inequality in healthcare has simply become too great. We want to correct that, and therefore we are sending a clear signal with our first budget agreement.

The agreement was signed by the Social Democrats, Radikale Venstre, the Conservatives, SF, Liberal Alliance, the Moderates, Venstre, the Denmark Democrats and the Red-Green Alliance. The reason for the Danish People’s Party’s absence was not stated.

Region Østdanmark will be created on Jan. 1 through the merger of the current Capital Region and Region Zealand, a change agreed in Denmark’s 2024 health reform. The new region will serve around 2.8 million residents across Zealand, the islands and Bornholm, almost half of Denmark’s population. Denmark will then have four regions, while the current council remains preparatory until the new region formally begins.

“

We are sending the money where the need is greatest, and among other things we are improving dementia and cancer treatment.