Has your NHS Trust got an inpatient social media policy?

Has your NHS Trust got an inpatient social media policy?

by | Jan 16, 2013 | mental health, NHS stuff | 5 comments

Inspired by my recent joint post with @chaosandcontrol, the lovely @wenurses are holding a Twitter chat on Thursday 17 January 2013 on the topic of social media in mental health inpatient settings. I thought it would be useful to post some information about the statutory position on access to social media, by way of some background information. Big thanks to @barlowjeffm for his invaluable help with putting this together. So what guidance is already out there that mental health NHS Trusts need to consider when developing a policy on the use of social media in inpatient settings?  Here is what we have found. It is worth noting that most of the information out there does not specifically address social media, and tends to refer to phone calls, texting and taking photos. However, many of the same principles apply. NHS constitution The NHS constitution says ‘in England, you should be allowed to use your mobile phone in an NHS hospital. This includes using your phone on a ward, as long as it’s not a risk to your safety or that of other patients and doesn’t affect the operation of electronically sensitive medical equipment. ‘All NHS trusts should have a written policy on the use of mobile phones which you can ask your hospital to see. There should be signs up in all hospital areas which say clearly whether you can use a mobile phone there or not’ Department of Health The Department of Health guidance on Using mobile phones in NHS hospitals was published in 2009. It states that ‘patients will be allowed the widest possible use of mobile phones in hospitals,...
Pros and perils of social media in a mental health inpatient setting

Pros and perils of social media in a mental health inpatient setting

by | Jan 4, 2013 | mental health, NHS stuff | 24 comments

This joint post with @chaosandcontrol came about through a Twitter conversation we had about her experience of mental health staff confiscating her smartphone whilst she was an inpatient, which she has blogged about here. There came a connecting together of minds – @chaosandcontrol’s desire to influence mental health service social media policies and my desire to improve ours so our staff have the resources they need to support people effectively. Here’s our conversation: VB – what do you think staff were worried about in terms of your use of social media when you were a patient on the ward? CaC – There was a concern that patients could write anything about themselves, other patients or staff, be it fact or fiction.  To some folks, social media is an unknown quantity, and sadly, the unknown has a great capacity to scare. You don’t have to Google very hard to find stories of employees disciplined or sacked as a consequence of posting inappropriate things on social media sites. Indeed, I wonder whether information surrounding the dismissal and disciplining of NHS staff adds fuel to the fire? Not that long ago, a pocket watch was the must have latest gadget. Were patients allowed to keep them when they were admitted to the asylum? Or, did they have to refer to the clock in the main building several fields away? I am not well read enough on my history to know the answer to that question. The point that I am trying to make is that we’re in the 21st century; smart phones, the internet and social media are not going to disappear....