Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 18 May 2024 at 14:21
On Thursday (March 9) at 9pm, Channel 4 is broadcasting a Dispatches documentary about the NHS, mostly centred around EEAST and Watford General Hospital.
There has been newspaper coverage over the weekend in The Sunday Times of this documentary, called “Dispatches - Undercover Ambulance: NHS in Chaos”.
The documentary includes covert filming carried out from November to January by Daniel Waterhouse, who joined EEAST as an apprentice EMT in September 2020 and left his role at Watford Ambulance Station last week.
This programme was made without the Trust’s knowledge or consent. We have not been allowed to see the footage before broadcast and only found out Daniel’s identity in The Sunday Times article.
We have been assured by the programme makers that patients and colleagues filmed without consent have been anonymised.
The Trust takes any breach of patient confidentiality and breach of trust between colleagues extremely seriously.
It is unacceptable to photograph or record patients or colleagues without consent, and to pass that to third parties for broadcast or to put it online yourself. Acting in this way may lead to disciplinary action, and could lead to prosecution under General Data Protection Regulation legislation.
We actively encourage all of our people to report any incidents affecting patient or staff safety, or any kind of unprofessional behaviour, and we have appointed a Freedom To Speak Up Guardian to ensure that you can do this safely and will be supported.
Anyone affected by the broadcast can speak to their line manager, their Freedom to Speak Up Guardian, or access support through our Wellbeing Hub.
http://east24/Support-services/HR/wellbeing.htm
Anyone wishing to raise issues of safety can find out more on the Freedom to Speak Up page.
http://east24/You-Matter/freedom-to-speak-up.htm
Updated Monday 6th March 2023