Ole Thomsen, head of the Central Jutland Region, admits that late treatments at Aarhus University Hospital and Viborg Regional Hospital have probably had serious consequences.

It involves most amputations at the hip, thigh, knee or lower leg.

"It's a guess based on the numbers we have, and it's probably a qualified guess: Up to 90 patients a year have had an amputation that could have been avoided," he says.

Investigated by expert group

The region suspected that patients in vascular surgery did not receive treatment quickly enough and therefore commissioned an expert group to analyze the work at the two hospitals.

The investigation established that the capacity to treat patients in vascular surgery in the Central Jutland Region was too low.

Anders Kühnau (S), who is chairman of the regional council, tells DR that he knew that the conditions were bad but that he was not aware that it had been so bad that it led to amputations that could have been avoided.

- We have had too little capacity, and I am very, very sorry for that, he says.

The region has now contacted all patients who have had a leg amputated in recent years and they will be given the opportunity to report the incident and seek compensation.

"Grotesque and unhappy"

- We have long known that there is a great shortage of capacity in health care and that people are on waiting lists.

But at the same time we have been told that they are the ones who can stand what is on the waiting lists, says Morten Freil, chairman of Denmark's largest patient association and continues:

- When you are on a waiting list and risk having your leg amputated, it is urgent.

He describes the situation in Central Jutland as "grotesque and very unhappy".

The Patients 'Association states that the situation in Danish healthcare has worsened recently, partly due to the corona pandemic and nurses' strikes.