NHS Staff Raise Alarms Over Patients Filming Treatments for Social Media

Source: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jun/17/nhs-concerns-patients-filming-tiktok-instagram?utm_term=6850ebc5d86d0b939bb0aee893d62496&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUK_email

NHS staff are increasingly concerned about patients filming their medical treatments and sharing the footage on social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram. Radiographers and other healthcare professionals warn that this trend can jeopardize the privacy of nearby patients and cause anxiety among staff, whose work may be publicly scrutinized. The Society of Radiographers (SoR) has reported several incidents where patients or their companions began filming without consent. In one case, a young woman filmed her mother’s cancer treatment for entertainment, possibly capturing another patient’s confidential procedure. Staff have expressed distress about being recorded without permission, especially when their names are visible. The SoR urges NHS trusts to clearly communicate that filming requires staff consent. Medical leaders, including Dr. Katharine Halliday and Prof. Meghana Pandit, emphasize that filming should never compromise patient dignity or confidentiality. They stress the importance of seeking permission and using recordings strictly for personal understanding, not public sharing. The NHS supports efforts to educate patients but warns that unauthorized filming may violate the rights of others receiving care.