Finn Rudaizky from the Danish People’s Party, who is a council member in Copenhagen, expresses deep concern over the recent revelations from 365nyt.dk regarding the security at the Psychiatric Center Amager. This comes in the aftermath of an incident where a young doctor was seriously injured in a knife attack. “I am shocked by the information that has come to light,” says Rudaizky. He compares the situation to previous scandals in the Danish healthcare system such as the cancer scandal at Skejby Hospital and several other scandals in Region Zealand and the Rigshospitalet. “There is something fundamentally wrong with the management,” he states.
Insights from 365nyt.dk show that the Danish Working Environment Authority (Arbejdstilsynet) has issued nine orders to the Psychiatric Center Amager since 2016, all related to violence against staff. Chief physician René Sjælland admits that there have been serious failures. “We have not done well enough, and we must take responsibility for that,” says Sjælland.
Among the Working Environment Authority’s orders, some have been aimed at staff working alone with patients without proper supervision, and that patients have had access to objects that can be used as weapons. A noteworthy incident in June 2024 involved a patient who freely entered a doctor’s office and attacked a staff member with a knife.
However, Sjælland believes that the problem is of regional and national character and emphasizes that many employees are satisfied with how the situation is being handled. “We are on a cultural journey where we need to balance security with the desire for an open and welcoming psychiatry,” he explains.
However, Rudaizky disagrees. He has been in contact with former employees who are concerned for their safety and believe that the management has failed. “This is in stark contrast to what the head physician states about the employees’ satisfaction,” he says.
Rudaizky now urges the chairman of the regional council, Lars Gaardhøj, to investigate whether the current management at the Psychiatric Center Amager is suitable for carrying out the tasks. 365nyt.dk has attempted to get a comment from center manager Louise Rabøl, but the Capital Region Psychiatry has no comments on the matter.