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The Independent
an hour ago
- Health
- The Independent
Stop filming medical treatments for TikTok, NHS staff warn patients
People are risking their health and that of others by filming medical procedures for TikTok and Instagram, medics have warned. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said filming NHS staff and treatments places undue stress on health professionals during treatments, and risks publicising people's private medical data. Filming can also distract staff and cause them discomfort, potentially compromising the quality of treatment provided, the society warned. It said there has been a worrying trend of people videoing their procedures on their phones, often without asking permission. The SoR is calling for clear and widespread NHS policies that prevent patients from filming or photographing their procedures without explicit permission. This will ensure a safer and more respectful environment for both staff and patients, it said. Ashley d'Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer working in London, told the SoR's Annual Delegates' Conference that she had been approached by other members of staff, in her capacity as a union representative, over patients recording some of their cancer treatment. She added: 'I had one patient whose relative started filming while I was trying to set up the treatment. It wasn't the right time – I was trying to focus on delivering the treatment. 'We had another member of staff who agreed to take photos for a patient. 'But when the patient handed over her phone, the member of staff saw that the patient had also been covertly recording her to publish on her cancer blog.' Most NHS staff wear identity badges and their names and job titles may be visible on videos posted online. 'It makes people feel very uncomfortable and anxious,' Ms d'Aquino added. A radiology department assistant from the south coast was using a cannular on a cancer patient, and the patient's 19-year-old daughter started filming the procedure. 'She wanted to record the cannulation because she thought it would be entertaining on social media,' she said. 'But she didn't ask permission. 'In the next bay, a patient was having consent taken for a virtual colonoscopy, which is an invasive and potentially embarrassing procedure. 'That could have all been recorded on the film – including names and dates of birth. 'Anyone could be in the room – you don't know their personal story. 'There are people who come into our department who have a limited social media presence because of risks to their safety. Patients filming make them feel unsafe in their own hospital. 'I spent the weekend afterwards worrying: did I do my job properly? I know I did, but no-one's perfect all the time, and this was recorded. I don't think I slept for the whole weekend.' Dean Rogers, SoR director of industrial strategy and member relations, said the issue affects all health workers. He said there are some hospitals which have good policies around patients taking photos and filming procedures. However, he said this must in place in all hospitals trusts across the country. 'Hospitals need to ensure that they meet the needs of patients while also looking after staff members' wellbeing,' Mr Rogers said. 'And, in this case, safeguarding the one simultaneously safeguards the other – allowing healthcare professionals to do their job in safety, while also protecting patients' privacy and helping them to receive the best possible care.' Ms d'Aquino said there may be some valid reasons for patients to record medical conversations. 'Patients making audio recordings of consultations, for example, can enhance their understanding and retention of medical information,' she said. Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England's co-national medical director for secondary care, said: 'We want to do everything possible to support patients' understanding of their diagnosis and treatment, but it's vital that, if patients wish to record any part of their NHS care, they discuss this with their healthcare professional first and it remains for personal use only.'
Sky News
2 hours ago
- Health
- Sky News
Patients filming NHS medical treatment for TikTok and Instagram, radiographers say
Patients are filming their NHS medical treatment for TikTok and Instagram, potentially putting them and others at risk, medical professionals have said. Ashley d'Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer working in London, said a rising number of patients are choosing to film their treatment for social media. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said it is causing healthcare staff unnecessary anxiety when they are trying to carry out their job and is putting patient confidentiality at risk. The organisation added that distracting staff and making them uncomfortable could compromise the delivery of their medical treatment. The SoR is calling for the NHS to implement policies to prevent patients from photographing or filming clinical procedures without permission. Ms d'Aquino, who is a union rep, told the SoR's annual delegates' conference that members of staff had approached her over patients recording some of their cancer treatment. She said one worker agreed to take photos for a patient, "but when the patient handed over her phone, the member of staff saw that the patient had also been covertly recording her to publish on her cancer blog". "As NHS staff, we wear name badges, so our names will be visible in any video. It makes people feel very uncomfortable and anxious," Ms d'Aquino explained. Filming treatments also puts patient confidentiality at risk, another worker explained. A radiology department assistant from the south coast said she was using a cannula on a cancer patient when the patient's 19-year-old daughter started filming the procedure without asking for permission. "She wanted to record the cannulation because she thought it would be entertaining on social media," she said. But in the next bay, a patient was having consent taken for a virtual colonoscopy, which is "an invasive and potentially embarrassing procedure". The consent, including names and dates of birth, could have been recorded on the video, putting the patient at risk. "There are people who come into our department who have a limited social media presence because of risks to their safety. Patients filming make them feel unsafe in their own hospital," she said. The department assistant said she had sleepless nights worrying about whether she did her job properly in this situation. Filming treatments affects all healthcare workers, according to Dean Rogers, SoR director of industrial strategy and member relations. He said all hospital trusts should have policies in place around patients taking photos and filming procedures to stop people filming without staff knowledge and permission. "Hospitals need to ensure that they meet the needs of patients while also looking after staff members' wellbeing," Mr Rogers said. "And, in this case, safeguarding the one simultaneously safeguards the other - allowing healthcare professionals to do their job in safety, while also protecting patients' privacy and helping them to receive the best possible care." Ms d'Aquino acknowledged that there may be some valid reasons for patients to record medical conversations, for example, to "enhance their understanding and retention of medical information" by making audio recordings of consultations.
The Independent
3 hours ago
- Health
- The Independent
Medics urge NHS TikTok policy amid privacy concerns
The Society of Radiographers (SoR) has raised concerns about patients recording NHS medical treatments for platforms like TikTok and Instagram, citing risks to staff and other patients. The SoR advocates for clear NHS policies to prevent patients from filming clinical procedures without prior permission, to ensure a safer environment. Ashley d'Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer, noted an increase in patients filming cancer treatments, causing anxiety among staff due to potential privacy breaches and distractions. One incident involved a cancer patient's daughter filming a cannulation without permission, raising concerns about recording other patients' private information. Dean Rogers of the SoR emphasised the need for hospital trusts to implement policies that balance patient needs with staff wellbeing, ensuring privacy and optimal care.
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Patients who record NHS care for TikTok or Instagram ‘put themselves at risk'
Patients who video their NHS medical treatment for TikTok or Instagram are putting themselves and others at risk, leading medics have said. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said filming NHS staff and treatments was causing workers unnecessary anxiety when they are trying to work, while people also risk publishing other patients' medical information. The organisation also suggested that distracting staff and making them uncomfortable may compromise the delivery of treatment. The SoR is calling for clear and widespread NHS policies that prevent patients from photographing or filming clinical procedures without permission. Ashley d'Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer working in London, said a rising number of patients are choosing to film their own medical treatment for social media such as TikTok or Instagram. She told the SoR's Annual Delegates' Conference that she had been approached by other members of staff, in her capacity as union rep, over patients recording some of their cancer treatment. She added: 'I had one patient whose relative started filming while I was trying to set up the treatment. 'It wasn't the right time – I was trying to focus on delivering the treatment. 'We had another member of staff who agreed to take photos for a patient. 'But when the patient handed over her phone, the member of staff saw that the patient had also been covertly recording her to publish on her cancer blog. 'As NHS staff, we wear name badges, so our names will be visible in any video. 'It makes people feel very uncomfortable and anxious.' A radiology department assistant from the south coast was using a cannular on a cancer patient, and the patient's 19-year-old daughter started filming the procedure. 'She wanted to record the cannulation because she thought it would be entertaining on social media,' she said. 'But she didn't ask permission. 'In the next bay, a patient was having consent taken for a virtual colonoscopy, which is an invasive and potentially embarrassing procedure. 'That could have all been recorded on the film – including names and dates of birth. 'Anyone could be in the room – you don't know their personal story. 'There are people who come into our department who have a limited social media presence because of risks to their safety. Patients filming make them feel unsafe in their own hospital. 'I spent the weekend afterwards worrying: did I do my job properly? I know I did, but no-one's perfect all the time, and this was recorded. I don't think I slept for the whole weekend.' The department assistant said she had also seen patients attempting to take photos of her department's scanners. 'People on social media start discussing what's going on without understanding what the scanner is or what it does,' she said. 'But they know it involves radiation. So that may create fear among people.' Dean Rogers, SoR director of industrial strategy and member relations, said the issue affects all health workers. 'As healthcare professionals, we need to think: does that recording breach the confidentiality of other patients? Does it breach our ability to deliver care?,' he said. 'There are hospital trusts that have very good policies around patients taking photos and filming procedures. 'But this is something all trusts need to have in place. Patients shouldn't be filming in hospitals without staff knowledge and permission. 'Hospitals need to ensure that they meet the needs of patients while also looking after staff members' wellbeing. 'And, in this case, safeguarding the one simultaneously safeguards the other – allowing healthcare professionals to do their job in safety, while also protecting patients' privacy and helping them to receive the best possible care.' Ms d'Aquino said there may be some valid reasons for patients to record medical conversations. 'Patients making audio recordings of consultations, for example, can enhance their understanding and retention of medical information,' she said. 'The difficulty is that our phones have become so much a part of our day-to-day life that recording and sharing our lives has become second nature.' Professor Meghana Pandit, NHS England's co-national medical director for secondary care, said: 'We want to do everything possible to support patients' understanding of their diagnosis and treatment, but it's vital that, if patients wish to record any part of their NHS care, they discuss this with their healthcare professional first and it remains for personal use only. 'Recording other patients inadvertently and without their permission risks breaching patient confidentiality – the information and treatment provided to other patients on NHS premises should never be recorded, let alone posted to social media.'
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Health
- BBC News
Warning over TikTok filming by hospital patients
Patients who film their own medical treatment for TikTok or Instagram could be putting themselves and NHS staff at risk, the Society of Radiographers (SoR) has warned. The trade union's annual conference heard that more patients were videoing their procedures on mobile phones, often without asking permission. This could distract staff or make them feel uncomfortable and anxious, the society material on social media also risks publicising the private medical data of other people who may be in the same room or area of the hospital. "I had one patient whose relative started filming while I was trying to set up," said Ashley d'Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer from London. "It wasn't the right time - I was trying to focus on delivering the treatment."Ms d'Aquino, who is also a local union representative, said she had recently been contacted by other colleagues in a similar situation. "We had a member of staff who agreed to take photos for a patient," she said. "When the patient handed over her phone, the member of staff saw that the patient had also been covertly recording her, to publish on her cancer blog." Most NHS staff wear identity badges and their names and job titles may be visible on videos posted online. The union said another of its members, a department assistant from the south coast of England, was inserting a cannula as part of a cancer procedure, when the patient's 19-year old daughter started filming on her phone. "She thought it would be entertaining on social media but she didn't ask permission," said the member of staff. "I spent the weekend afterwards worrying: did I do my job properly? I know I did, but no-one's perfect all of the time," she added."I don't think I slept for the whole weekend." NHS 'needs policies' Ms d'Aquino said there were valid reasons for patients to record the audio of medical consultations - so they could listen back to the detail, for example. "The difficulty is that our phones have become so much a part of our day-to-day life that recording and sharing has become second nature," she added. Dean Rogers, the director of strategy at the SoR, is calling for NHS trusts to have clear policies in place that stop patients from filming without permission."As healthcare professionals, we need to think: does that recording breach the confidentiality of other patients? Does it breach our ability to deliver care?" he said."There are hospital trusts that have very good policies around patients taking photos and filming procedures but this is something all trusts need to have in place."Prof Meghana Pandit, co-national medical director at NHS England, said it was vital that, if patients want to record any part of NHS care, they discuss it with staff first and it remains for their personal use only."Recording other patients inadvertently and without their permission risks breaching patient confidentiality – the information and treatment provided to other patients on NHS premises should never be recorded, let alone posted to social media," she added.
