In connection with the new Danish Health Act, it will likely be decided that hospitals will be allowed to use GPS tracking of persons that are unable to manage their own safety if they should leave the hospital. In the draft, it says:
According to the law, hospitals and healthcare professionals are not allowed to equip a patient with a GPS tracker without the consent of said person. In cases where the patient has left or is about to leave the hospital, the personnel are not allowed to take the patient back to the hospital or detain the patient against his or her will according to the current law. At the moment, the personnel must call and await the police. The government wishes to strengthen the care for and protection of people with dementia and other hospitalized patients who, due to lasting impairment of the psychological functions, are unable to take care of themselves and in risk of being injured if they leave the hospital. On the basis of this, it is the wish of the government that the healthcare professionals get the opportunity to take care of these patients by giving the healthcare professionals the opportunity to use personal alarm and tracking systems, e.g. GPS, on hospitalized patients that are not able to give their consent, and under specific circumstances, the opportunity to physically detain or escort these patients back to the hospital if they have left or are about to leave the hospital.
Certain hospitals expect this change to be adopted. Stella Care has already supplied the first couple of hospitals with GPS tracking systems.
The draft for the amendment of the Danish Health Act can be read here. (Danish)