Aalborg hospital staff demand end to patient and visitor verbal abuse

Staff at Aalborg University Hospital are launching a campaign against rising verbal abuse from patients and visitors, warning that insults and shouting are driving employees out of their jobs.

The initiative, rolling out across social media and hospital walls, urges patients and relatives to “speak politely” to personnel, according to a report by Danish broadcaster DR. Rikke Vingaard, a union representative for nurses and radiographers, said incidents of staff being “shouted at, scolded, and insulted” have become increasingly common.

“Patients and visitors receive polite treatment from us—we expect the same in return,” Vingaard told DR. She acknowledged that long waits and delays often trigger frustration but stressed that “prioritizing one urgent case over another doesn’t justify abuse.”

The campaign, backed by the North Denmark Region, comes as staff report that repeated verbal attacks are eroding job satisfaction and, in extreme cases, leading to sick leave. “When it happens multiple times a day, it affects your desire to stay in the profession,” Vingaard said.