Just one surgeon for 182 operations at Rigshospitalet: Deeply concerned, says the Danish Cancer Society

Only a single surgeon for 182 operations at Rigshospitalet: "Deeply concerning," says the Danish Cancer Society

A very vulnerable situation for a very serious cancer disease, says the Danish Cancer Society.

The dismissal of three surgeons at Rigshospitalet has left the department with only one surgeon with the right qualifications to operate on pancreatic cancer. That is far too few and deeply concerning, according to the Danish Cancer Society. (Photo: © Emil Nicolai Helms, Ritzau Scanpix) 55 minutes ago

At the moment, there is only a single surgeon employed at Rigshospitalet with the right qualifications to perform 182 annual operations for pancreatic cancer.

And that is far too few, says Pernille Slebsager, director of patient support at the Danish Cancer Society.

- It is deeply concerning that there is only one specialist doctor for pancreatic cancer operations.

The figures come from a report that the Capital Region of Denmark has just submitted to the Danish Health Authority.

> It is deeply concerning that there is only one specialist doctor for

> pancreatic cancer operations

The authority asked on 13 October for an explanation of how a highly specialised department at Rigshospitalet can manage pancreatic cancer operations after the hospital had at once dismissed three senior consultants in the department, and two other surgeons had left within a short period of time.

Read also: Nurses raise the alarm after dismissal of surgeons at Rigshospitalet: "We are deeply concerned about the patients" ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/sygeplejersker-slaar-alarm-efter-fyring-af-kirurger-paa-rigshospitalet-vi-er-dybt-bekymrede )

The report states that there is a requirement for at least three specialist doctors with specific competence to perform pancreatic cancer operations, but that due to the case there are "fewer specialist doctors with specific competences than normal."

To solve the problem, the hospital has tested a collaboration with an experienced surgeon from Odense University Hospital, is in dialogue with, among others, Aarhus University Hospital, and also expects to be able to employ at least one experienced specialist doctor.

- The department has three doctors in training for the function and expects that two of them will gain experience at specialist level over the coming year, the region writes.

> This is far too vulnerable a situation in relation to a very serious

> cancer disease, where patients are completely dependent on surgery

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Far too vulnerable a situation

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But the calculation still means that there is currently only a single surgeon with the right skills and experience responsible for over 180 complicated operations a year, and that is far too vulnerable, says Pernille Slebsager.

- Right now, patients can feel safe, but this is far too vulnerable a situation in relation to a very serious cancer disease, where patients are completely dependent on surgery.

Read also: Cancer doctors back the dismissed surgeons at Rigshospitalet ( https://www.dr.dk/nyheder/indland/kraeftlaeger-bakker-op-om-fyrede-kirurger-paa-rigshospitalet )

- It is crucial that Rigshospitalet both enters into solid agreements about help from other hospitals and that they get new doctors employed. We will continue to follow the case closely, says Pernille Slebsager.

The Capital Region of Denmark writes in the report that despite the fewer doctors in the department, it still expects to be able to meet the waiting times in the cancer area.

The Danish Health Authority has not yet commented on the report.

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