Jeremy Hunt won't be punished for tweeting patients' private details because it was a 'mistake'

Doctors are furious at the Health Secretary for avoiding punishment - because NHS rules say they could be sacked for doing the same thing


Gaffe: But Jeremy Hunt won't be published for tweeting the confidential details (censored right)

Jeremy Hunt has been investigated by his own officials after tweeting patients' private details - but will face no further action because it was a 'mistake'.

Doctors are furious at the Health Secretary for avoiding punishment - because NHS rules say they could be sacked for doing the same thing.

NHS staff have a legal duty not to disclose anything that could identify a patient even if it happens by accident.

Mr Hunt prompted the row as thousands of medics tweeted selfies with the caption #ImInWorkJeremy to show there's already a 7-day NHS.

To prove he was on their side, Mr Hunt's Twitter account uploaded a photo from London's University College Hospital - but names of patients were on a whiteboard behind him.

Angry doctors accused him of breaching confidentiality and the picture was swiftly replaced with a censored one.

But by then his gesture had already backfired as medics complained to the Department of Health, which confirmed it had looked into the breach.

Its reply yesterday said: "The department has looked carefully at this matter and what took place was an entirely unintentional mistake.


Rose Townsend @futuresrosy

#Iminworkjeremy #weneedtotalkaboutjeremy 'unintentional' breaches of confidentiality totally OK with Dept of Health
2:43 PM - 23 Jul 2015


Trending
Ashley Madison
Queen Nazi salute
Jules Bianchi
Findon road rage attack
El Chapo

Sport
Technology
Money
Travel
Fashion

Home
News
UK News
Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt won't be punished for tweeting patients' private details because it was a 'mistake'

10:11, 24 July 2015
By Dan Bloom

Doctors are furious at the Health Secretary for avoiding punishment - because NHS rules say they could be sacked for doing the same thing

70 Shares
Share
Tweet
+1
Pinterest

Gaffe: But Jeremy Hunt won't be published for tweeting the confidential details (censored right)

Jeremy Hunt has been investigated by his own officials after tweeting patients' private details - but will face no further action because it was a 'mistake'.

Doctors are furious at the Health Secretary for avoiding punishment - because NHS rules say they could be sacked for doing the same thing.

NHS staff have a legal duty not to disclose anything that could identify a patient even if it happens by accident.

Mr Hunt prompted the row as thousands of medics tweeted selfies with the caption #ImInWorkJeremy to show there's already a 7-day NHS.

To prove he was on their side, Mr Hunt's Twitter account uploaded a photo from London's University College Hospital - but names of patients were on a whiteboard behind him.

VIEW GALLERY
#ImInWorkJeremy

Angry doctors accused him of breaching confidentiality and the picture was swiftly replaced with a censored one.

But by then his gesture had already backfired as medics complained to the Department of Health, which confirmed it had looked into the breach.

Its reply yesterday said: "The department has looked carefully at this matter and what took place was an entirely unintentional mistake.

"The Secretary of State for Health's sole intention was to celebrate some excellent clinical work he was grateful to have been able to see first-hand at University College London Hospital.

"As soon as the department was alerted to the mistake, the image was removed and replaced.

"I hope this reply is helpful."

Twitter users do not think the reply was helpful.

Dr Rose Townsend, who received the reply, tweeted: "Unintentional breaches of confidentiality totally OK with Dept of Health."

Another Twitter user added: "I'm astounded. I don't think that's how the Information Commissioner would suggest handling a breach of patient info. Perhaps they could advise?"

The NHS has strict rules on confidentiality with staff being held personally responsible for breaches.

The rules say: "All staff have a legal duty of confidence to keep person-identifiable or confidential information private and not to divulge information accidentally.


Trending
Ashley Madison
Queen Nazi salute
Jules Bianchi
Findon road rage attack
El Chapo

Sport
Technology
Money
Travel
Fashion

Home
News
UK News
Jeremy Hunt

Jeremy Hunt won't be punished for tweeting patients' private details because it was a 'mistake'

10:11, 24 July 2015
By Dan Bloom

Doctors are furious at the Health Secretary for avoiding punishment - because NHS rules say they could be sacked for doing the same thing

70 Shares
Share
Tweet
+1
Pinterest

Gaffe: But Jeremy Hunt won't be published for tweeting the confidential details (censored right)

Jeremy Hunt has been investigated by his own officials after tweeting patients' private details - but will face no further action because it was a 'mistake'.

Doctors are furious at the Health Secretary for avoiding punishment - because NHS rules say they could be sacked for doing the same thing.

NHS staff have a legal duty not to disclose anything that could identify a patient even if it happens by accident.

Mr Hunt prompted the row as thousands of medics tweeted selfies with the caption #ImInWorkJeremy to show there's already a 7-day NHS.

To prove he was on their side, Mr Hunt's Twitter account uploaded a photo from London's University College Hospital - but names of patients were on a whiteboard behind him.

VIEW GALLERY
#ImInWorkJeremy

Angry doctors accused him of breaching confidentiality and the picture was swiftly replaced with a censored one.

But by then his gesture had already backfired as medics complained to the Department of Health, which confirmed it had looked into the breach.

Its reply yesterday said: "The department has looked carefully at this matter and what took place was an entirely unintentional mistake.

"The Secretary of State for Health's sole intention was to celebrate some excellent clinical work he was grateful to have been able to see first-hand at University College London Hospital.

"As soon as the department was alerted to the mistake, the image was removed and replaced.

"I hope this reply is helpful."

Twitter users do not think the reply was helpful.

Mirorrpix Jeremy Hunt, Secretary of State for Health seen at Downing Street in London
No action: The Health Secretary won't face punishment for the hasty tweet

Dr Rose Townsend, who received the reply, tweeted: "Unintentional breaches of confidentiality totally OK with Dept of Health."

Another Twitter user added: "I'm astounded. I don't think that's how the Information Commissioner would suggest handling a breach of patient info. Perhaps they could advise?"

The NHS has strict rules on confidentiality with staff being held personally responsible for breaches.

The rules say: "All staff have a legal duty of confidence to keep person-identifiable or confidential information private and not to divulge information accidentally.

"Staff may be held personally liable for a breach of confidence.

"Any breach of confidentiality, inappropriate use of health or staff records, or abuse of computer systems is a disciplinary offence, which could result in dismissal or termination of employment contract, and must be reported."

A Department of Health source confirmed Mr Hunt won't face further action but played down the row, saying the names were barely visible.

At the time of the breach Lauren Nicole Jones tweeted: "If I tweeted a photo with patient identifiable information to over 70,000 people I would deserve to lose my job as NHS worker."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/jeremy-hunt-wont-punished-tweeting-6127974#ICID=sharebar_twitter


Hunt's a ...., one rule for him and one for everyone else.

Well where did he get the photo from in the first place? Wasn't it a breach of confidentiality for it to be on the internet at all?

Picture Hunt had done to show how 'hands on' he is with the health service and he tweeted it himself.

sassy wrote:Picture Hunt had done to show how 'hands on' he is with the health service and he tweeted it himself.

So it was a private photo he had taken? OK. In that case, perhaps it should have been cropped before it was released to him so the names weren't there, or the board should have been covered up first. The doctors presumably knew that there was a whiteboard there with the names on it.

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:Picture Hunt had done to show how 'hands on' he is with the health service and he tweeted it himself.

So it was a private photo he had taken? OK. In that case, perhaps it should have been cropped before it was released to him so the names weren't there, or the board should have been covered up first. The doctors presumably knew that there was a whiteboard there with the names on it.

No, it was a photo his publicity office had taken for him to use for publicity and he was the one who decided to put it on twitter.

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

So it was a private photo he had taken? OK. In that case, perhaps it should have been cropped before it was released to him so the names weren't there, or the board should have been covered up first. The doctors presumably knew that there was a whiteboard there with the names on it.

No, it was a phot his publicity office had taken for him to use for publicity and he was the one who decided to put it on twitter.

The same thing applies. The hospital and doctors must have agreed to have the photo taken. If it was taken in the knowledge that it would be used for publicity, they should have been more careful too.

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:

No, it was a phot his publicity office had taken for him to use for publicity and he was the one who decided to put it on twitter.

The same thing applies. The hospital and doctors must have agreed to have the photo taken. If it was taken in the knowledge that it would be used for publicity, they should have been more careful too.

You actually think they had a choice? Stand here and smile! lol.

sassy wrote:

Raggamuffin wrote:

The same thing applies. The hospital and doctors must have agreed to have the photo taken. If it was taken in the knowledge that it would be used for publicity, they should have been more careful too.

You actually think they had a choice?  Stand here and smile! lol.

I presume you're not being serious.

I think it's a bit of a fuss tbh. Of course it was careless - on the part of everyone involved - but it was a genuine mistake. There were names on the whiteboard, but not details of their conditions or treatment, or addresses, etc.

When you go to the GP, everyone hears your name when it's called out - does that count?

To be honest i am no fan of JH

But  i can see how it was a mistake people often take photo`s with out ever realising what`s in the background or it`s significance  and then post them or share them
he certainly should have been more careful and it was completely careless
But i think the public embarrassment is punishment enough

Some one trying to make a mountain out of a molehill again, honestly sassy you do look for any mistake that can be attributed to the Tories, Labour make balls ups as well you know.

nicko wrote:Some one trying to make a mountain out of a molehill again,   honestly sassy you do look for any mistake that can be attributed to the Tories,   Labour make balls ups as well you know.

to be honest the guy that made the complaint is doing that

korban dallas wrote:

nicko wrote:Some one trying to make a mountain out of a molehill again,   honestly sassy you do look for any mistake that can be attributed to the Tories,   Labour make balls ups as well you know.

to be honest the guy that made the complaint is doing that

And Sassy. Fill in the missing word.

Hunt's a ...., one rule for him and one for everyone else.

NHS guidelines on patient confidentiality are exceptionally strict, and if that picture had been published by one of those doctors without Hunt being in it, for their own purposes, they would have been instantly dismissed. After his attacks on them over the last couple of weeks, doctors are bloody furious, and I don't blame them.

Rags, I don't like the word so I rarely use it, but it applies to Hunt 100% Basically what he is doing is trying to undermine the NHS so he can privatise it, which was what was intended from the beginning.

sassy wrote:NHS guidelines on patient confidentiality are exceptionally strict, and if that picture had been published by one of those doctors without Hunt being in it, for their own purposes, they would have been instantly dismissed.  After his attacks on them over the last couple of weeks, doctors are bloody furious, and I don't blame them.

Rags, I don't like the word so I rarely use it, but it applies to Hunt 100%  Basically what he is doing is trying to undermine the NHS so he can privatise it, which was what was intended from the beginning.

I was only messing Sassy. I don't use it either - I can't bring myself to type it.

Raggamuffin wrote:

sassy wrote:NHS guidelines on patient confidentiality are exceptionally strict, and if that picture had been published by one of those doctors without Hunt being in it, for their own purposes, they would have been instantly dismissed.  After his attacks on them over the last couple of weeks, doctors are bloody furious, and I don't blame them.

Rags, I don't like the word so I rarely use it, but it applies to Hunt 100%  Basically what he is doing is trying to undermine the NHS so he can privatise it, which was what was intended from the beginning.

I was only messing Sassy. I don't use it either - I can't bring myself to type it.

I know, it's vile!