Denmark reveals plans for hospitals efficiency:

In a bid to ensure that within three years all Danish patients will receive hospital treatment within three months of referral, health minister Arne Rolighed revealed that the government would guarantee that another 20,000 procedures were carried out per year. Commenting on the eventual agreement between district councils and the government on the councils' budgets for 2002, the minister expressed his satisfaction at the fact that patients will in future receive fast, concise information as to when and where they were to be treated. he further revealed plans for more focus on and investment in cancer, heart disease, dementia and treatment for the elderly. In order to make hospital treatment more efficient, the minister said the government would better inform both patients and doctors of their right to hospital selection.