Latest news with #patientprivacy
Telegraph
13-07-2025
- Health
- Telegraph
‘We don't want to feel like Big Brother is watching us': the NHS staff being filmed by patients
Katie Thompson has grown accustomed to friends seeing her on the internet – not that she enjoys being filmed. A sonographer at the Great Western Hospital in Swindon, she says she is frequently spotted on social media platforms by her nearest and dearest having been covertly filmed while attending to patients. 'You don't want to find yourself, without being asked, suddenly appearing on someone's TikTok or Facebook,' says Thompson, who warns this is happening on a 'daily basis'. 'I choose what I do and don't put on social media, but if someone else is taking pictures of you or recording you [and uploading that content online], you have no control over who is seeing that.' Thompson is far from alone in her discomfort. In fact, she is one of a growing number of NHS professionals reporting that they are regularly being recorded, overtly or covertly, by their patients or their patients' friends and family. The problem has become so widespread that senior medics were last month forced to intervene, with the Society of Radiographers (SoR) publicly expressing its concerns. On one occasion, the union said, a member had reported being filmed by the 19-year-old daughter of a cancer patient who was having a cannula inserted. 'She wanted to record the cannulation because she thought it would be entertaining on social media. But she didn't ask permission,' the staff member said. '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 group warned that those filming inside hospitals and other clinical environments risk 'publicising other patients' medical information, and compromising their own treatment'. It is now calling for the introduction of clear policies to prevent patients from photographing or recording clinical procedures without having express permission to do so. Lives as 'content' Some of the clips posted online and seen by The Telegraph are seemingly the product of individuals keen to document their own health journeys, or to raise awareness of specific conditions. Others, however, appear to follow the broader trend of many people treating their entire lives as 'content' for social media. Whatever the rationale of those behind the videos, the SoR warns that they are making staff in the health service – the vast majority of whom wear identity badges – 'uncomfortable' and 'anxious'. Hospital trusts across the UK have their own policies when it comes to filming, with many clearly stipulating that 'no patients or staff are to be filmed without consent'. But some warn current measures do not go far enough. 'As healthcare professionals, we need to think: does that recording breach the confidentiality of other patients? Does it breach our ability to deliver care?' Dean Rogers, the director of strategy at the SoR, told the BBC last month. '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.' Thompson, whose own ward has a sign which explicitly states that patients must not record or take pictures, agrees. 'I think there should be policies [to prevent this],' she says. 'People aren't asking permission to do this, and it's causing anxiety among the staff. We don't want to feel that we're being watched all the time… like Big Brother's watching us.' Erosion of privacy Many medics are despairing over the current state of affairs, pointing out the litany of issues that come with filming inside clinical settings. Other patients who may appear in the background of such footage risk being exposed, for one, while NHS staff going about their duties could have their privacy eroded too. 'God forbid, it could be somebody [who is filmed] who's not actually told a relative they're going to hospital or got anything wrong with them,' says Rachel Nolan, the SoR's vice-president. 'Then they see it [the clip] on somebody's TikTok or Instagram, and think 'that's my relative in the background, I wonder what they're doing there?'' In some instances, people may also be unwittingly leaking their own personal and highly sensitive information. For Thompson, who routinely carries out pregnancy scans, all sorts of data risk being compromised when her patients film their treatment, potentially putting them 'at risk'. (Screens used as part of the procedure typically show the individual's name, their date of birth and their hospital number, among other personal information.) Moreover, patients filming and uploading footage of their time in hospital may distract staff attempting to carry out complicated medical procedures. 'It's mentally taxing enough making decisions that are going to affect people's health without thinking at the back of your mind that you're being filmed,' says Dave Pilborough, a therapeutic radiographer at the Royal Derby Hospital and a past president of the SoR. Surprising culprits A trawl of social media sites such as TikTok and Instagram reveals a glut of videos of this kind, captioned with messages such as 'come with me to the hospital' or 'spend the day with me in A and E'. Such clips often attract hundreds of views and likes, generating thousands of followers for the accounts that air them. The Telegraph found multiple examples of videos featuring footage of staff who are seemingly unaware they are being captured on camera. There is also an abundance of content posted online in which other patients seem to have been filmed without their knowledge or consent. Some of these clips show individuals lying on hospital beds, capturing their ordeal in intimate and occasionally graphic detail. Others are filmed inside busy waiting rooms. But it's not always the patients themselves who are behind the camera. In fact, Thompson says, the most common culprits are friends and family accompanying women as they come in for a scan. She explains that in many instances, it is 'the person sitting with [the patient] who will have their phone in a very unnatural position on their lap and be filming the screen, or filming you doing the scan'. Sometimes, they appear to be trying to capture the moment covertly. 'It's the ones that have got the phones really low on their laps. They're the ones that know they shouldn't be doing it,' she says. When she is able to spot that they are recording, Thompson asks them to stop – at which point they can get 'irate', she says. 'I think they feel guilty. They've been caught, but they've been doing it in such a covert way that they know they're not supposed to be doing it.' Worsening problem The SoR says the problem has worsened significantly in recent years. 'It's pretty trendy to take pictures of just about everything that happens to you and then stick it on social media,' says Richard Evans, the organisation's chief executive. 'It's almost the norm that people put everything on TikTok and Instagram,' says Nolan. 'They document their whole lives, what they're having for tea, and say, 'Oh, I've been in an operation today, and I'll put that on [the internet] as well'. I just think it's the availability of being able to record everything and document absolutely everything in their lives.' Thompson, meanwhile, speculates that influencers who have been given explicit permission to film their treatment (as part of them documenting their own health journeys) are unwittingly inspiring copycats. And as the trend grows, there are mounting worries there could be a more sinister side to some of the filming too, with some patients thought to be seeking to 'expose' the NHS, or catch out doctors they deem to be complicit in a broken system. 'There will always be people who want to exploit systems and be sensational,' says Evans. 'Maybe they even see themselves taking part in revealing the truth about the health service or something like that. You can imagine a range of motivations, can't you.' He adds that tighter policy can't come soon enough, arguing all NHS trusts need to have clear rules in place that prevent patients from filming inside their facilities, unless they have been granted permission to do so. 'For the vast majority of people, I suspect this is just unintentional, and they are not really thinking that what they're doing could be a problem,' he says. But ultimately, Evans concludes, 'some clear policy will be helpful'.
CTV News
27-06-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Pembroke Regional Hospital dealing with cybersecurity incident, cancelling some appointments and procedures
The Pembroke Regional Hospital is seen in this April 2024 image. (Dylan Dyson/CTV News Ottawa) The Pembroke Regional Hospital has cancelled 'certain appointments and procedures' following a cybersecurity incident earlier this week. The hospital says it appears patient information has not been compromised, but the incident is causing service delays for staff and patients. 'We take privacy and security very seriously and maintaining the trust of our patients, our community and our health care team is of the utmost importance to us. Unfortunately, due to the rapidly evolving nature of cyber threats, it is not always possible to prevent against all forms of attacks,' Sabine Mersmann, president and CEO of the Pembroke Regional Hospital, said in a statement. 'Upon detection of this incident Tuesday morning, we rapidly initiated our incident response plan and deployed countermeasures to prevent further unauthorized access to our network, including taking systems offline.' Officials say the hospital engage third-party cybersecurity experts to assist with 'containment and remediation' following the cybersecurity incident, and to conduct a 'forensic investigation to determine the cause and extent of the incident.' Any patients affected by the cybersecurity incident will be contacted directly for appointment changes.
Fox News
18-06-2025
- Health
- Fox News
Republicans demand answers on blue state health program accused of leaking patient data to Big Tech
FIRST ON FOX: House Republicans are putting California's state-run public health insurance exchange on notice with a letter demanding answers about its leaking of private patient data to third-party entries as part of a marketing effort. Spearheaded by several Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, the letter to Covered California, which facilitates public health insurance for millions of Californians, seeks answers to numerous questions about its alleged leak of private patient data to third-party entities, such as LinkedIn and Google. "Ensuring the confidentiality of health information is a foundational obligation for entities operating within the health insurance ecosystem," the letter, signed by five Republican leaders in the House, states. It points out how federal privacy protections, in particular those stemming from the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), establish certain "expectations" for how organizations like Covered California must handle patient information. Additionally, in California, the law requires consumers provide permission to certain organizations before their medical information can be disclosed to third-parties. "Recent reports and public filings raised questions about whether those expectations were met in this case, and whether existing oversight mechanisms are sufficient to detect and prevent improper disclosures," the Republicans' letter asserted. Following public criticism in late April, alleging that Covered California was passing sensitive patient data to LinkedIn via a network of "trackers" on its website, the state-run health insurance exchange removed them. The criticism stemmed from a forensic analysis by two investigative nonprofits, which found Covered California's website was sharing patients' answers to questions, such as whether one is pregnant, or how many prescription drugs they use, or how often they see doctors, were being passed to LinkedIn without the patients' knowledge or consent. Other questions included demographic information and other sensitive personal data, and Covered California subsequently admitted to sharing patients' Social Security numbers. In total, Covered California had more than 60 active "trackers" on various data points, according to Cal Matters, one of the investigative nonprofits that uncovered the leaked data. Cal Matters, in their investigation, pointed out how the average number of trackers across more than 200 government websites it investigated was only three. Following the Cal Matters report that led to public criticism, Coverd California subsequently explained that the "trackers" it had functioning on its website were part of an advertising campaign initiated in February 2024, and upon discovery of the data sharing, it removed them in April the following year. "Covered California leverages LinkedIn's advertising platform tools, including LinkedIn Insight tags, which are pieces of code added to a website to help track how visitors interact with the site. This tool allows us to better understand consumer behavior and deliver tailored messages to help consumers make informed decisions about their health care options," Covered California said in a public statement put out following the Cal Matters report. "While the review is still ongoing, Covered California has identified that some sensitive data was inadvertently collected by the tags, including first names, the last four digits of Social Security numbers, and other sensitive health information like pregnancy status." The state health insurance exchange added that it was reviewing its entire website to ensure no more analytical tools were improperly collecting or sharing sensitive patient data. Meanwhile, days after Cal Matters brought the data-sharing concerns involving Covered California to light, a class-action lawsuit was filed against LinkedIn and Google, accusing the companies of operating software enabling them "to intercept sensitive and confidential communications of Covered California customers." The letter from House Republicans marks the latest attempt to increase pressure on the California-run public health insurance exchange. Republicans are demanding answers to questions pertaining to its data sharing, including during the period of time it was allegedly sharing info with LinkedIn, as well as questions about what Covered California is currently doing to protect its patients' data. "Americans deserve to know that their sensitive health data is secure and being handled prudently," Chairman Guthrie said following transmission of the letter to Covered California. "We are hopeful that California will be transparent and forthcoming about this apparent data security failure as we launch our investigation." "The unauthorized sharing of private health data with third-party advertisers— including pregnancy status, prescription drug use, and Social Security information— is deeply troubling," added California Rep. Jay Obernolte, a fellow Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee who helped spearhead the letter to Covered California alongside Guthrie. "We're seeking answers because the people of California deserve accountability and transparency when their privacy is compromised." When reached for comment, Covered California acknowledged receipt of the letter from Guthrie, Obernolte, and others on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, adding that they were currently reviewing its requests and plan to respond by the provided July 1 deadline. Google and LinkedIn declined to provide comment for this article.
The Independent
17-06-2025
- 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.'
The Independent
17-06-2025
- 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.
