Doctor Out-of-Hours

The Danish medical system is arranged such that at the times that normal general practitioners are closed (evenings, nights and weekends) you can call through to a number where you get to talk to a doctor.  The special number is 70 11 07 07 for South Denmark. The system asks for your CPR number and you are then passed on to a doctor. The doctor asks you about your symptoms and either gives you over the phone advice, or makes an appointment for you at the local consultation address, which around here is at Sonderborg Hospital.

My First Impression

This weekend was my first experience of using the Danish medical system. As luck would have it, I starting feeling in terrible pain late on Friday evening. At this time regular doctors are closed for the weekend. I had no choice but to call the out-of-hours number.

So what do I think of this experience?

I am quite happy with the treatment I received – nothing impressive, but solid and efficient. I called the out-of-office number twice: once at night when I was told to take some pain killer and call back in the morning if I need to, and again in the morning. Both doctors I talked to on the phone spoke English to me with no hesitation whatsoever.

The next morning I was given a consultation appointment for an hour later with no hassle at all. I got to see the doctor within 20 minutes of my timed appointment, and again the doctor had no problem speaking English.

I am, of course, not looking forward to having more encounters with the medical system (Danish or otherwise!) but following this one I am not as apprehensive should I need to.

Featured image by Adrain Clark.

4 thoughts on “Doctor Out-of-Hours

  1. Cecilia Fenech

    The medical system in Denmark sounds efficient and well organised. It is good to find out exactly how things should work there, which is quite different to what I have experienced here in Ireland, where after more than a year here and talking to a number of people, I am still unaware of how things work. All I can do is hope that nothing happens at weekends or during summer recess when the Uni medical team is off.

    Reply
    1. Ann Post author

      Hopefully if I need anything more major I will still have the same opinion. I was lucky that Michael knew about these things as I would have had no idea of what I should do otherwise.

      Reply
  2. this indonesian

    I think it’s also about luck too. I am lucky that I have a very nice doctor who would listen to my complaints and take them seriously. I know friends whose doctors always send her home with Panodil no matter what she complains about :/

    Reply

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