There’s a significant conflict brewing in Rigshospitalet, Denmark’s largest hospital and most specialised hospital, located in central Copenhagen.
Last week, three surgeons from the Department of Transplantation and Digestive Diseases were let go following their critique of hospital leadership in a letter at the start of the month.
This has received criticism from their union and led to 27 operating room nurses sending a concerned letter to leadership and anaesthetists doing the same.
The initial letter
At the start of the month, according to DR, five surgeons at the specialised department, which especially deals with liver transplants as the only place in Denmark, wrote and sent a letter to the leadership to raise their concerns.
They noted the departure of two other surgeons earlier in the year, sharing their worries that the lack of surgeons could put patient safety at risk.
The surgeons were called in for disciplinary meetings which led to three of the five of them being let go from their positions.
This quickly received criticism from Bjarne Hjaltalin, Chairperson of the Danish Association of Senior Hospital Physicians, in a written comment to Ugeskrift for Læger.
Here, he said: “When all the country’s chief physicians can read in the media that three colleagues have been sent home after submitting a letter of concern, it gives rise to examining the fundamental questions that the case raises.
“This applies not least to the question of doctors’ freedom of expression and their right and duty to draw attention to conditions that may affect patient safety.”
Responses from colleagues
Other employees from Rigshospitalet have also been quick to respond to the firings that hit the news at the end of last week.
According to DR, 27 operating room nurses sent a letter to the leadership to express their concerns about the firing.
In the letter, again according to DR, the nurses write of the firings, “it is our assessment that this endangers patient safety, particularly for the patients who need precisely this experience and expertise.”
They went on to add: “More specifically, we are concerned that the lack of surgical skills, competencies, and experience affects the individual operation.”
Also five anaesthetists at Rigshospitalet have raised concerns about the firings. They too have sent a letter to the leadership at the hospital expressing concerns.
According to DR, they wrote: “With this letter, we wish to express a serious professional concern regarding the current and future robustness and quality of the provision of liver transplants at Rigshospitalet.”
Responses from hospital leadership
In a written response to DR, Jannick Brennum, deputy director at the hospital, said: “I fully understand that one may feel uneasy or concerned when a department loses valuable technical competencies and extensive experience so suddenly. That is only natural.”
He added: “And we can stand by our treatment of the patients – also in the current situation. We are working on hiring new specialists and have strengthened cooperation with our colleagues in Denmark and the Nordic countries.”
