Psychiatric Patient Issues

The Faroese Board of Appeal handles complaints regarding the use of coercion in connection with psychiatric hospitalisation. If a person is subjected to coercive measures during psychiatric admission—such as involuntary detention, compulsory treatment, or physical restraint—a complaint can be submitted to the Faroese Board of Appeal. The main objective in psychiatric patient issues is to protect the legal rights of patients subjected to coercion during psychiatric hospitalisation.

The types of coercive measures that can be appealed include:

• Involuntary admission
• Involuntary detention
• Re-admission (returning a patient to the ward)
• Compulsory treatment
• Physical restraint
• Use of physical force
• Use of personal warning/tracking systems and special door locks
• Preventive restraint
• Personal monitoring lasting more than 24 hours without interruption, and door locking on the ward

Relevant Considerations

There are no formal requirements for how a complaint regarding psychiatric patient issues must be submitted. It can be submitted either in writing or orally. A complaint form can be downloaded on this website, but it is not mandatory to use the form.

There is no specific deadline for submitting complaints in psychiatric patient issues. However, since the purpose of filing such a complaint is to stop unnecessary or unreasonable coercion, it is recommended that the complaint be submitted as soon as possible.

The Faroese Board of Appeal must make a decision as soon as possible in psychiatric patient cases. If no decision has been made within 14 days of receiving the complaint, the Board must inform both the patient and the patient adviser about the delay, explain the reason, and state when a decision can be expected.

A special rule applies to complaints concerning compulsory treatment where suspensive effect has been granted. Suspensive effect means that the treatment will not commence until the Faroese Board of Appeal has made a decision. In such cases, the Board must make a decision within 7 working days from receiving the complaint.

An informational leaflet about complaints regarding psychiatric patient issues can be downloaded on this website.

If you have any questions or are unsure about how to proceed with a psychiatric patient complaint, the Faroese Board of Appeal is happy to provide guidance.

Patient Advisers

The hospital is required to assign a patient adviser to any patient subjected to coercion in the psychiatric ward. The patient adviser must guide and advise the patient on all aspects related to admission, stay, and treatment. They must also inform the patient about the right to appeal and assist in filing a potential complaint.

Legal Basis

The rules governing psychiatric patient issues are laid out in the Danish Order on the Application of Coercion in Psychiatry in the Faroe Islands, most recently amended by Order No. 923 of 26 June 2023.

The Faroese Board of Appeal

In psychiatric patient issues, the Faroese Board of Appeal typically consists of the Director and  one or two jurists. Relevant experts join the Board in making a decision. Experts in psychiatric patient issues are doctors and persons with knowledge to mental health. A list of such experts can be found on the Board’s website.

Contact

Complaints can be submitted - e.g. through the patient adviser - to the hospital, which is obligated to forward them to the Faroese Board of Appeal.

Appeals to the Faroese Board of Appeal must be sent to: 

Føroya Kærustovnur
Undir Hornabakka
Postboks 45
110 Tórshavn

or by email to: fks@fks.fo