Surgery photos uploaded to Facebook

Nobody likes having their picture snapped when they're not looking their best. Imagine it happening while you were in surgery.

A nurse has been suspended for uploading pictures of patients taken during operations to Facebook.

The photos are thought to have been taken on a camera phone without other staff at the hospital knowing. They were only discovered when another nurse spotted them online.

The NHS has launched an investigation into what happened at Glasgow’s Southern General Hospital. The photos themselves have been removed from Facebook.

Margaret Watt, who is chair of the Scotland Patients Association, told BBC News that the incident was “totally unacceptable”. She called for hospital staff to be banned from carrying mobile phones at work.

“The health board have taken the appropriate action by suspending the person,” she said.

“But I would like to think that there is some kind of law where the police are able to take some action against these people.”

“This was a breach of the patient's human rights and their privacy.”

At least patients do not have to worry about being “tagged” while under the knife: the patients in the pictures are not identifiable.

Your Shout!

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Comments

WOhh! That is out of order and definatley againt the HRA Act 1999. I thought that mobiles were not allowed to be on anyway, as it interfers with the equipment.

Yasmeen · 22-02-10

No I dont think they should be completely banned. But they should be banned in any part of the hospital where operations are performed.

05-02-10