Ministry of Health (Denmark)

Ministry of Health
Sundheds- og Ældreministeriet

Headquarters of the Danish Ministry of Health at Holbergsgade 6 in Copenhagen
Agency overview
Jurisdiction Denmark
Minister responsible
Websitehttp://sum.dk

The Danish Ministry of Health (Danish: Sundhedsministeriet)[1] is a Danish governmental ministry responsible for healthcare policy in Denmark. First created as an independent ministry in 1926, it has at various times been combined with the Ministry of the Interior as the Ministry of Interior and Health, most recently in 2022-, and has had various names. The current Minister for Health is Sophie Løhde,[1] and the Permanent Secretary since 11 January 2021 is Svend Særkjær.[2]

Responsibilities

The ministry oversees all aspects of healthcare in Denmark, including hospitals, medical treatments, dispensaries, patient rights, healthcare data collection and medical and research ethics.[citation needed]

History

The ministry was first created in 1926, and since then has several times been merged with the Ministry of the Interior and re-established under various official names. In modern times it was first re-established in September 1987,[3] with responsibilities drawn in part from other ministries, including oversight over foodstuffs, anti-narcotics and anti-alcohol efforts, education of medical personnel, and health care in Greenland—some of these were later reassigned—and was recombined with the Ministry of the Interior in November 2001. In November 2007 it again became an independent ministry under the name Ministerium for Sundhed og Forebyggelse (English: Ministry for Health and Prevention), taking on some responsibilities from the Family Ministry, which was dissolved; the Ministry of the Interior, in turn, was merged into a new Ministry of Welfare (Velfærdsministerium).[3] In 2010 the combined Ministry of Interior and Health was again reconstituted, but the following year the Ministry of the Interior was included in a new Ministry of the Economy and the Interior [da] while the Ministry of Health once more became the Ministry for Health and Prevention. In June 2015 it was renamed the Ministry of Health and the Aged,[3] and acquired some responsibilities from the Social- og Indenrigsministeriet (Ministry of Social affairs and the Interior), the combination of the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of the Interior which was created at the same time.[4] In November 2016, under Lars Løkke Rasmussen's third government, it became a separate ministry once more.[5]

List of ministers

No. Portrait Name
(Born-Died) 		Term Political Party Government Ref
Took office Left office Duration
Minister of Health Services
(Minister for Sundhedsvæsenet)
1
Viktor Rubow [da]
Viktor Rubow [da]
(1871–1929)		14 December 192630 April 19292 years, 137 daysVenstreMadsen-Mygdal Cabinet[6]
Minister of Development and Health Affairs
(Minister for Byggeri og Sundhedsvæsen)
2
Johannes Kjærbøl
Johannes Kjærbøl
(1885–1973)		13 November 194723 November 194710 daysSocial DemocratsHedtoft I Cabinet[7]
Minister of Health
(Sundhedsminister)
3
Agnete Laustsen
Agnete Laustsen
(1935–2018)		10 September 19873 June 1988267 daysConservativesSchlüter II Cabinet–
4
Elsebeth Kock-Petersen
Elsebeth Kock-Petersen
(born 1949)		3 June 19887 December 19891 year, 187 daysVenstreSchlüter III Cabinet–
5
Ester Larsen
Ester Larsen
(born 1936)		7 December 198925 January 19933 years, 49 daysVenstreSchlüter III Cabinet–IV–
6
Torben Lund
Torben Lund
(born 1950)		25 January 199327 September 19941 year, 245 daysSocial DemocratsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen I Cabinet–
7
Yvonne Herløv Andersen
Yvonne Herløv Andersen
(born 1942)		27 September 199430 December 19962 years, 94 daysCentre DemocratsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen II Cabinet–
8
Birte Weiss
Birte Weiss
(born 1941)
(Also served as Minister of the Interior)		30 December 199623 March 19981 year, 83 daysSocial DemocratsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen III Cabinet–
9
Carsten Koch
Carsten Koch
(born 1945)		23 March 199823 February 20001 year, 337 daysSocial DemocratsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen IV Cabinet–
10
Sonja Mikkelsen
Sonja Mikkelsen
(born 1955)		23 February 200021 December 2000302 daysSocial DemocratsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen IV Cabinet–
11
Arne Rolighed
Arne Rolighed
(born 1947)		21 December 200027 November 2001341 daysSocial DemocratsPoul Nyrup Rasmussen IV Cabinet–
Minister of the Interior and Health
(Indenrigs- og sundhedsminister)
12
Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Lars Løkke Rasmussen
(born 1964)		27 November 200123 November 20075 years, 361 daysVenstreAnders Fogh Rasmussen I Cabinet–II–
Minister of Health and Prevention
(Minister for sundhed og forebyggelse)
13
Jakob Axel Nielsen
Jakob Axel Nielsen
(born 1967)		23 November 200723 February 20102 years, 92 daysConservativesAnders Fogh Rasmussen III Cabinet
Lars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet		–
Minister of the Interior and Health
(Indenrigs- og sundhedsminister)
14
Bertel Haarder
Bertel Haarder
(born 1944)		23 February 20103 October 20111 year, 222 daysVenstreLars Løkke Rasmussen I Cabinet–
Minister of Health and Prevention
(Minister for sundhed og forebyggelse)
15
Astrid Krag
Astrid Krag
(born 1982)		3 October 201130 January 20142 years, 119 daysSFThorning-Schmidt I Cabinet–
16
Nick Hækkerup
Nick Hækkerup
(born 1968)		3 February 201428 June 20151 year, 145 daysSocial DemocratsThorning-Schmidt II Cabinet–
Minister of Health and Elderly Affairs
(Sundheds- og ældreminister)
17
Sophie Løhde
Sophie Løhde
(born 1983)		28 June 201528 November 20161 year, 153 daysVenstreLars Løkke Rasmussen II Cabinet[3][8]
Minister of Health
(Sundhedsminister)
18
Ellen Trane Nørby
Ellen Trane Nørby
(born 1980)		28 November 201627 June 20192 years, 211 daysVenstreLars Løkke Rasmussen III Cabinet[5]
Minister of Health and Elderly Affairs
(Sundheds- og ældreminister)
19
Magnus Heunicke
Magnus Heunicke
(born 1975)		27 June 201915 December 20223 years, 171 daysSocial DemocratsFrederiksen I Cabinet[9]
Minister of the Interior and Health
(Indenrigs- og sundhedsminister)
(17)
Sophie Løhde
Sophie Løhde
(born 1983)		15 December 2022Incumbent1 year, 329 daysVenstreFrederiksen II Cabinet

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "The Danish Ministry of Health". Retrieved 16 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Ministeriets historie". Sundheds- og Ældreministeriet.
  3. ^ a b c d "Ministeriets historie" (in Danish). Sundheds- og Ældreministeriet. Retrieved 15 October 2016.
  4. ^ "Kongelig resolution af 28. juni 2015" (PDF) (in Danish). Statsministeriet. 28 June 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Here is Denmark's new coalition government". The Local. Denmark. 28 November 2016.
  6. ^ Axel Borgbjærg (18 July 2011) [1933–1944]. "V. Rubow". Dansk Biografisk Leksikon (in Danish) (2nd ed.). Den Store Danske.
  7. ^ From 13 to 23 November 1947, the Ministerium for Byggeri- og Boligvæsen (Ministry of Development and Housing) included health and was called the Ministerium for Byggeri og Sundhedsvæsen: "Arkivskaber: By- og Boligministeriet" (in Danish). Danish National Archives. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  8. ^ "Here is Denmark's new government". The Local. Denmark. 28 June 2015.
  9. ^ Müller, Thea Deleuran (27 June 2019). "Danmarks nye regering er nu på plads: Se hele Mette Frederiksens ministerhold her". DR (in Danish). Retrieved 29 June 2019.