Staff injured after alarm system failed during patient assault at Aalborg psychiatric unit

Two employees were sent to emergency care and four others placed on sick leave after a violent attack by a patient at the forensic psychiatric unit of Aalborg University Hospital, where the alarm system failed to notify staff, DR reports.

The assault occurred Sunday at the newly opened unit in Aalborg Øst, according to deputy director Peter Larsen. Two staff members sustained physical injuries from multiple blows, while two others were psychologically affected and unable to work.

The unit’s attack alarm activated but did not transmit alerts to employees’ mobile phones due to a server failure by an IT vendor, Larsen confirmed. As a result, nearby staff only became aware of the incident after a significant delay.

A temporary 24/7 monitoring system has been implemented to oversee the alarm display until the technical issue is resolved. “We take this extremely seriously,” Larsen said, adding that leadership had convened immediately to establish an emergency response plan.

Tina Brejl Aagaard, union representative for healthcare assistants at the hospital, called the failure “deeply serious and unacceptable,” noting that concerns about the alarm system had been raised previously. “A fear among colleagues became reality yesterday,” she said.

Hospital management stated that the security issue has been addressed in the short term, with ongoing work to permanently fix the fault in collaboration with the IT provider.