Hospitals told to prevent camera phone abuse
Trusts must work out how they will effectively monitor the use of mobile phones with cameras to ensure they are not used in hospitals to take inappropriate pictures.
Guidance published today by the Department of Health says trusts should have a clear written policy on the use of mobile and camera phones. All staff should know the policy and signs should leave patients in no doubt about the rules.
The guidance comes as health minister Ben Bradshaw announced that trusts should consider allowing more liberal use of mobile phones in hospitals, as long as it does not interfere with equipment, invade privacy or cause a nuisance.
Confidential information
The department highlights specific risks from the use of camera phones - in particular that they may be used to take inappropriate pictures of children or of confidential information about them, of people in private places such as bathrooms, or to create sensitive data about a person's ethnicity or mental health.
Unplugged
It also tells trusts to take account of the risk that "an essential medical device may be inadvertently unplugged in order to charge a mobile device".
Many trusts have up to now enforced hospital-wide bans on mobile phone use based on the risks of interference with medical equipment.
Patient communication
But the guidance says trusts should consider patients' rights "to communicate with the outside world whilst in hospital" and restrictions should be limited to those areas where there is a genuine risk of interference.
Mr Bradshaw said: "Close support and comfort from loved ones when you are poorly in hospital is essential. Mobile phones are commonplace in everyday life these days and people have told us that they'd like to be able to use their phones more in hospital to keep in touch.
"That's why we're keen to encourage sensible use in NHS hospitals where it is safe to do so."
To read the full guidance, go to www.dh.gov.uk
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Readers' comments (5)
Anonymous | 7-Jan-2009 9:18 am
As a patient I welcome this move to provide contact with family and friends. However I have reservations about the general use in all areas not only to preserve dignity and privacy (camera phones) but am concerned about the additional noise due to ring tones and talking by users. During a period of hospital stay following surgery, I had to put up with loud TV noise from morning to night and inconsiderate visitors to other patients, this additional (though welcomed) device can easily compromise recovery for patients. May I suggest that designated areas be put aside for voice communication outside the ward area; and text mode for the ward area; all ring tomes to be set to silent or vibrate.
I am disappointed that this document did not also provide guidance for use of mobiles by staff in hospitals. I have seen health professionals attending to patients and drawing up medications, whilest talking on a mobile in hospital!!!
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Anonymous | 7-Jan-2009 10:13 am
I suspect many people don't realise what a minefield this is.
I have heard of clinicians using phones during operations, and have been involved in incidents where patient/relatives have taken photos of casenotes and of staff.
Once a picture is taken there is nothing that can be done - Trusts have no rights to confiscate the phone or the pictures, even though the pictures can later appear on the internet!
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Ken Halliday | 7-Jan-2009 11:12 am
Mobile phone useage has been a bone of contention since the report, following early trials proved inconclusive regarding interference with medical equipment.
The report was followed by one of Mr Blairs initiatives - Patient Power - the installation of TV and telephone services to patients bedsides.
Does this new thinking mean the death-knell for Patient Power?
If so, where does this put those companies set up to provide such services?
It wasn't government spin was it????
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Anonymous | 7-Jan-2009 11:58 am
As someone who has managed to resist the need to be constantly in touch on a mobile I feel sorry that there will be nowhere free of mobiles. My phone is for emergencies & when I'm on call only - there is nothing more irritating than people having a discussion re what to buy in the Supermarket or when you are in a restaurant or on a train emphasing just how important they think they are! I can think of nothing worse than being ill & submitted to constant chatting on the phone from fellow patients who may be well on the road to recovery. Hopefully phone use can be restricted to certain areas of the hospital where patient's who are ambulatory can go or could be taken in a wheelchair. Where a patient is in their own room or in isolation e.g. Oncology wards there would be no problem & the phone then can be of real benefit to keep in touch with the outside world. The final concern is really about our societies need to sue for the least thing & photos being supplied to the accident investigation companies!
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Anonymous | 8-Jan-2009 2:18 pm
So trusts have to come up with policies and will then have to enforce them. I suppose this fall to clinical and support staff with little or no support from managers. My friend is head of security in a smallish hospital and he and his staff have enough grief from patients and vistors when they're told they can't smoke in the stairwells or outside the entrances. Can you imagine the arguements and violence this new "policy" will generate?
Whatever happened to the coinbox telephone on wheels, or yes it got replaced by the money guzzling multipurpose tv/phones over every bed.Let the staff take back control about what happens in our hospitals and health centres, dignity and privacy is what's really in the patients' interests.
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