Region chair backs Rigshospitalet leadership after crisis meeting

Capital Region chair Lars Gaardhøj says he trusts Rigshospitalet’s leadership to address staffing problems in its transplant and digestive diseases department, DR reports. The department is the only one in Denmark that performs liver transplants.

Three senior doctors who had been relieved of duty are now leaving the hospital. They have raised concerns about patient safety and what they describe as an acute staffing problem, as well as criticising the department’s management style. Five doctors in total have left the highly specialised department this year.

After a meeting with the Capital Region’s executive committee, Gaardhøj said the hospital had a good plan to get the department back on track. Recruitment is under way, he said, and there has been strong interest in the advertised jobs. He expects new surgeons to be hired soon, but acknowledged that the departures have created challenges in maintaining capacity.

The hospital has agreements with other hospitals in Denmark and the Nordic countries that can provide support if needed. Gaardhøj said patients could therefore feel confident about their care.

Rigshospitalet deputy director Jannick Brennum said dismissing the three doctors had been necessary to build a robust department that safeguards patients. If the hospital cannot provide necessary treatment in individual cases, he said, it will work with its partners in Denmark and the Nordic countries.

Twenty-seven operating-room nurses at Rigshospitalet have also sent a letter to hospital management expressing concern about the situation. They said they believe patient safety is at risk, particularly for patients who need the department’s specific experience and expertise. DR has seen the letter, but the nurses declined to be interviewed because they feared being fired.