Patients forcibly admitted to psychiatric wards in Denmark are facing significantly longer waiting times—up to 246 days—for their complaints about being deprived of their liberty to be processed. This delay is highlighted in a recent report submitted by the Minister of Health to the Danish Parliament’s health committee.

The extensive waiting period for the Psychiatric Patient Complaints Board to review cases marks a considerable increase. The prior processing time was less than a week, but delays began in 2018 due to reorganization, centralization, and relocation of the board.

Legal experts suggest these long waiting times may violate both the Danish constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights, which mandates prompt reviews of administrative deprivations of liberty. Lawyer Tobias Stadarfeld Jensen argues that the current situation effectively denies patients their constitutionally guaranteed rights, citing the European Court of Human Rights’ standard of a few weeks for judicial decisions in such cases. He assesses the situation as a systematic violation of the European Convention on Human Rights.

The Danish Patient Complaints Authority attributes these delays to a shortage of medical personnel and inadequate funding. Minister of Health Sophie Løhde acknowledges the situation as unsatisfactory and reports that funds have been allocated to free up doctors and reduce waiting times. The ministry denies that Denmark is in breach of international obligations.