Doctors, Hospitals & Staying Healthy

## **Healthcare**

* Denmark has an extensive public healthcare system that offers free consultation and treatment at a local doctor’s clinic, emergency wards and public hospitals.
* If you work legally in Denmark, you are covered by the Danish health insurance system. Most examinations and treatments are free but you need to register and get a health insurance card.
* Children are covered by the health insurance scheme together with their mother or father until they reach the age of 15 and are insured independently of their parents.
* When you are covered by the national health insurance, you can register with a general practitioner (GP) and receive a yellow health insurance card. The health insurance card is documentation that you are entitled to the services offered under the national health insurance scheme.
* Approximately two weeks after you have registered, your national health insurance card will be sent to your Danish address. The card will show your name and address, your CPR number and the name and address of your doctor.
* It is advisable always to carry this card with you as it is required whenever you need to see a doctor, a dentist or go to the hospital – or when you want to take out books from the library.
* Once you are registered in the Civil Registration System, you are entitled to choose a general practitioner (GP) you can contact if you fall ill.
* Your GP will also handle prescriptions, vaccinations, and certain types of contraception, and will also assist you with regard to disease prevention.
* You will need to make an appointment before going to see your GP. If you fall ill or suffer an injury outside your own GP’s normal opening hours, you can call the out-of-hours medical service.
* In most cases, the GP is your entry point to the Danish health-care system. If you need to be treated at the accident and emergency department (A&E) or receive hospital and specialist treatment, you will usually need a referral from your GP.
* You can choose which GP you prefer with regard to sex, age, etc. The choice of GP is made in connection with the issuance of your personal health insurance card.
* The citizen services of your municipality will give you a list of doctors you can choose between. You can register with a new GP whenever you want to. It costs a small fee.

## **Going to the Hosptial**

* For emergency due to injuries or illnesses, you must call 1813.
* The medical helpline is staffed by physicians and specially trained nurses who can give you advise on your injury/illness and guidance on which service you require.
* Initially, physicians and nurses will advise you about proper home treatment/care to avoid a visit to the emergency room.
* If a trip to the emergency room is necessary, the physicians and nurses will enter your information in the system for admission to the emergency department and an appointment time will be provided.  Having an appointment time will cut your wait short.  Showing up without an appointment time, will make your wait time much longer.
* You will not be admitted to the emergency department if you do not call 1813, consult with the physicians/nurses for an assessment and have an appointment time.
* You will be referred to the closest available emergency department.  \*Remember to bring your healthcare insurance card (yellow CPR card).

## **Going To The Doctor**

* If you need to be examined or treated at a hospital, you must first obtain a referral from your own GP, a specialist doctor or from the out-of-hours medical service.
* You will receive an appointment from the hospital, which will send information on where and when you need to come.  Information is sent via eBoks or post.
* You are entitled to an interpreter assistance if the doctor deems this necessary.

## **Child With Food Allergy**

Can your child eat mussels if you are allergic to prawns?  Can you give your child goat’s milk to drink if he/she is allergic to cow’s milk?  Which foods often contain egg?

The Danish Health and Medicines Authority, the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration and the Danish Asthma & Allergy Association have set up a website to pool information about food allergies in one place.  You can find answers to many questions at www.foedevareallergi.dk.

Some tips to keep in mind:

* Ask your GP for a pediatric allergist referral.
* Always carry your child’s allergy medication.
* When dining, always inform the servers of your child’s allergies.

Regardless of what you order and what is indicated in the menu, always double check the food does not contain any allergens.

You can also call the restaurant ahead of time and inform them of your allergies.  They are more than happy to substitute ingredients or prepare a special meal for you.

In case of a severe food allergy reaction, use your Epi-pen and call 112.

## **Counseling & Mental Health #s**

For acute mental help:

* The emergency offer is if you are experiencing an acute crisis.
* http://akuttilbuddet.dk/gentofte-kommune/

For treatment:

* If you need treatment, you should contact your own doctor who can refer you to a relevant treatment offer in the Capital Region, a private practitioner or a psychologist.
* https://www.psykiatri-regionh.dk/

For support contact:

* If you need a support group, the support and contact person scheme offered by Gentofte Municipality is an outreach program.  A support person will reach out and assist in getting you back on track.  It is offered for adults with a mental disorder and/or addiction.
* https://www.gentofte.dk/da/Borger/Social-og-handicap/Handicap-og-psykiatri/St%C3%B8tte-i-hverdagen/St%C3%B8ttekontaktperson

For social educational support:

* When you find it difficult to deal with everyday practical tasks, Gentofte Municipality can offer you support, guidance and training skills so you can manage.  The support may e.g. consist of help with shopping, cooking, building networks.
* http://socialpsykiatriskteam.gentofte.dk/da

For advice and guidance:

* You can get advice and guidance by contacting the Social and Disability Authority at +45 3998 6000
* In Gentofte Municipality's social psychiatry plan, “The Common Ground”, you can read about the strategic pointers for further development of municipal services for individuals with a mental disorder - https://www.gentofte.dk/da/Borger/Sundhed/Sygdom/Psykisk-sygdom/Socialpsykiatriplan.

## **Supplemental Insurance**

* Private health insurance covers services, which may mean that you in certain cases will be diagnosed more quickly or have certain kinds of surgery performed more quickly at a private hospital than the public hospital can offer.
* Private health insurance typically covers services not covered by public authorities, for example physiotherapy, zone therapy, and a number of other services.
* At a number of Danish workplaces, a health insurance is part of the employment contract and is paid by the employer.
* A private health insurance allows use of private hospitals and health clinics where you pay for treatment.  Choosing a private hospital or clinic allows you to avoid waiting for treatment.  In some cases, the public healthcare system will pay for services performed at private hospitals or clinics.
* You can choose to take out an insurance policy through the health mutual insurance company “danmark” (Sygeforsikringen “danmark”), which will reimburse you some of your medical expenses for glasses, dental treatment, medicine, etc.
* If you need medical treatment during travels in the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein (EEA), or Switzerland you will have to use the blue European Health Insurance Card.
* You can get the blue European health insurance card if you live in Denmark, are a citizen of an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or Switzerland and you are covered by national health insurance in Denmark.
* In addition, you may be entitled to a European health insurance card if you are a stateless person, a recognized refugee or a family member of a person covered by national health insurance in Denmark. A family member is your spouse or common-law partner and your children under 18 years of age. However, parents of children who are citizens of an EU/EEA country or Switzerland are not entitled to a blue European health insurance card.
* In special cases, you may be entitled to a European health insurance card if you live abroad and work in Denmark or are posted by a Danish employer to work in another country.
* If you are covered by the Danish health insurance, you can order the card for free online. If you, in the case of special circumstances, are not able to order the blue card online, you can contact Udbetaling Danmark by phone +45 70 12 80 81

## **Dental Care**

* Children and young people below 18 years of age are entitled to free dental treatment.
* You are free to choose any dentist. You may choose any dentist of your own choice, and once you are assigned to a clinic, the dentist is responsible for asking you to come for check-ups at regular intervals.
* In Denmark, there is a partial charge for dental care. You have to pay for check-ups and treatment, but part of the bill is government funded. This amount is automatically deducted from your bill.
* If you have an accident involving your teeth, there are emergency dentists that are open outside normal opening hours.  Go to http://www.xn--tandlgevagten-7fb.dk/ for information.

## **Bringing Medicine from Home**

* Over-the-counter medicines are available for purchase at pharmacies and approved supermarkets, kiosks, drug stores and petrol stations.
* Prescription medicines are only available for purchase at pharmacies. A doctor's or dentist's prescription is required in order to purchase prescription medicines.
* Most pharmacies are open from 9:30-17:30 on weekdays and from 9:30-13:00 on Saturdays. If you need to purchase medicine outside of these opening hours, most major Danish cities have a 24-hour pharmacy.
* When you bring medicine into Denmark, please be aware that it might be illegal. Certain conditions must be met before you can bring it in legally.
* If you want to avoid your medicine being seized by customs when, it could be worth the trouble to learn the rules for bringing medicine into Denmark.  The determining factor is the country you arrive from.
* On arrival from an EU/EEA country or outside the EU/EEA country, you can bring medicine in if:
* the medicine is for prevention or treatment of diseases in humans
* the medicine is for your own personal use
* it is legal to sell the medicine to private individuals in the country it was bought
* The rules are the same whether you bring in medicine from a country in/outside the EU/EEA.  The difference is the quantity of the medicine you can bring.  You can only bring a quantity corresponding to a maximum of three months use if you are coming from a country outside the EU/EEA (USA, Chine, Switzerland, etc.)
* You could be asked to show documentation.  It is good advice to bring your receipt for the purchase and any prescription.
* You risk to be fined if you violate the rules

## **Food Allergy Information**

For emergency due to food allergy, you must call 112.

Some Danish keywords to keep in mind:

* nødder = nuts
* mandler = almonds
* valnødder = walnuts
* jordnødder = peanuts
* trænødder = tree nuts
* shell frugter = shell fruits, also a word for a tree nut
* Jeg har allergi overfor nødder = I have an allergy to nuts.