It’s a story of two health systems, both facing immense pressure, but with sharply diverging results—especially when it comes to cancer care. Over the past 25 years, Denmark has transformed its approach to treating cancer, achieving survival rates that now rival some of the world’s best. Meanwhile, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) is grappling with record waiting lists and mounting warnings from doctors about an overburdened system.
Jesper Fisker, chief executive of the Danish Cancer Society, doesn’t mince words when reflecting on Denmark’s past: “It was really bad – we had patients dying on the waiting lists – politicians were getting desperate.” As reported by BBC, around the turn of the millennium, Denmark’s five-year survival rate for rectal cancer was just 48%, tied with the UK’s, and far behind countries like Australia, which boasted a 59% rate. “It was a disaster,” Fisker recalls. “We saw Danish patients out of their own pocket paying for tickets to China to get all sorts of treatments – endangering their health.”
Fast forward to 2014, and the picture looks very different. Denmark’s five-year survival rate for rectal cancer had soared to 69%, nearly matching Australia’s, while the UK’s rate had edged up to 62%. Analysts believe the upward trend has likely continued, and it’s not just rectal cancer—similar improvements are seen across colon, stomach, and lung cancers.
So, what changed? Denmark’s turnaround began with a bold, multi-pronged plan. In 2008, the government invested heavily in diagnostic equipment, purchasing between 30 and 60 high-tech scanners, including about 30 CT scanners per million people. For context, the UK had just 8.8 scanners per million as of 2021, according to BBC. “They’re an integral part of the way we work,” said Dr. Michael Andersen, a consultant radiologist at Herlev Hospital, one of Denmark’s flagship centers for cancer care. This investment led to a huge expansion in diagnostic capacity—crucial for catching cancer early, when it’s most treatable.
But it wasn’t just about machines. Denmark reimagined the entire patient experience. Hospital foyers, like the one at Herlev, are adorned with vivid paintings by Danish artist Poul Gernes, a deliberate move to make hospitals less intimidating and more welcoming. “Endless white walls can unnerve patients, while colour can be a pleasant distraction from their problems,” noted BBC’s reporting. Small touches, but they add up.
Perhaps the most dramatic shift came in the form of new national standards. Denmark introduced strict targets: after a referral, a cancer diagnosis must be delivered within two weeks, and if treatment is required, it must start within two weeks of diagnosis. If these standards aren’t met, patients have the right to transfer to another hospital—or even another country—while still being funded by the Danish health system. Compare this to England, where the target is to start treatment within about nine weeks (62 days) of an urgent cancer referral.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, believes the difference comes down to accountability and focus. “That means clarity over who in the government and NHS is responsible for delivering each part of the plan. Ultimately, responsibility for the success or failure of the plan should rest with the health and social care secretary.” She points out that Denmark and England spend a similar share of national income on health, suggesting the UK could follow Denmark’s lead—if it commits to a long-term plan, political leadership, higher investment, and stronger targets. “They are diagnosing cancer earlier, people are surviving longer, more people are taking up screening – all of those factors as well as investment in workforce and kit are critical components of a cancer plan,” she told BBC.
The benefits of Denmark’s approach are not just numbers on a page—they’re real lives changed. Elisabeth Ketelsen, an 82-year-old Dane and world-record-holding swimmer, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2022. “I saw the doctor on Monday – on the following Thursday I had mammography and a biopsy and from then on it went so quickly my head was spinning, almost,” she recalled. Three weeks after her diagnosis, Ketelsen had surgery, followed by radiotherapy two weeks later. When her cancer returned in 2023, she was quickly prescribed chemotherapy pills and hormone treatment. “The system works,” she says. She’s since returned to international swimming competitions.
Denmark has also shifted more cancer care out of hospitals and into the community. Michael Ziegler, mayor of Høje-Taastrup Municipality, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2022. After a stem cell transplant, he received chemotherapy at home using a chemo pump and returned to work within seven months. “I could have some quality of life, being able to do things at home I wanted to do instead of being stuck in a hospital room,” Ziegler explained to BBC. There’s hope—though not yet definitive data—that at-home chemo could lower infection risk and improve survival chances.
All this progress has come with only modest increases in health spending. Calculated per capita, Denmark spends more than the UK, but as a share of national income, its spending is similar or even slightly lower. The real difference, experts say, is in how the money is spent—on equipment, workforce, and patient-centered care.
Meanwhile, in England, the NHS is under growing strain. As of July 2025, the waiting list for routine treatment had climbed to 7.4 million patients—the highest since March, according to BBC. A doctors’ strike in July led to 50,000 cancelled appointments, and the number of patients waiting over 18 months for treatment rose to 1,429. The Royal College of Surgeons sounded the alarm, warning that “crumbling hospital buildings are leading surgeons to have to compete for space, directly contributing to delays and leaving patients waiting for the care they need.”
The government has set ambitious targets—treating 65% of patients within 18 weeks by March 2026, and 92% by March 2029—but is struggling to keep pace with rising demand. In July, just 61.3% of treatments were delivered within the target time. NHS Providers, which represents hospitals and ambulance services, said staff were “running to stand still” amid relentless pressure. “If we’re going to make a real dent in waiting lists and get more patients seen faster, we need to change how to deliver healthcare,” said chief executive Daniel Elkeles, advocating for a shift toward community-based care.
On cancer care, the UK has made some progress. The proportion of patients starting treatment within 62 days of an urgent referral rose to 69.2% in July, up from 67.1% in June. Still, this falls short of the government’s target of 75% by March 2026. Senior cancer doctors warn that excessive bureaucracy is making it hard for patients to access the latest treatments, like immunotherapy and advanced radiotherapy. A long-awaited cancer strategy for England is due by year’s end.
The UK government, for its part, is looking to Denmark for inspiration. Health Secretary Wes Streeting visited Denmark earlier this year and said, “Denmark’s healthcare system is known the world over for its excellence, having transformed outcomes through its cancer plans… These insights have fed into government health plans to speed up cancer diagnoses and deliver cutting edge treatments to the NHS front line quicker.” He’s promised a 10-year health plan to “drive care out of our busy hospitals and into local communities as we deliver the radical transformation required to fix our broken health service.”
What truly sets Denmark apart, say experts, is political consensus. Since the 1990s, all major parties agreed that cancer should be a national priority, allowing for consistent, long-term planning. In the UK, momentum has often faltered as short-term crises and shifting priorities take precedence. “This is unfinished business—over the last decade there has been a move away from cancer plans,” observed Ruth Thorlby of The Health Foundation think tank. Jesper Fisker believes lasting change is possible, but only with commitment: “If you are really decisive, if you really want to do this and are committed to it over a period of time, and you are also ready to invest then I think it can be done. Nothing comes without investment.”
As England searches for solutions, Denmark’s experience offers both a warning and a beacon—showing what’s possible when a nation invests in people, equipment, and a vision that puts patients first.
