Ex-staff member suspended for Instagram photos

An ex-member of staff has been suspended for a year by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) after posting inappropriate photos on Instagram.

The photos revealed patients’ personal information and details of their care, breaching confidentiality rules. As reported in the East Anglian Daily Times, the HCPC panel said the actions weren’t malicious but were “misguided and unintelligent”.

So would you know the dos and don’ts for using it at work and home? We have a digital policy that covers social media use in both a work and personal capacity; we’d recommend everyone takes the time to have a quick look, but there are some tips you can follow in the meantime:

• keep communications courteous and avoid postings that identify individuals, even in an implied way
• refrain from comments that can be interpreted as slurs, demeaning, and/or inflammatory – either to the Trust or to an individual that works or volunteers here
• what you write is ultimately your responsibility, so be aware that you are legally liable for anything you write or present online
• respect copyrights
• avoid posting personal information, opinions, photos or videos that you wouldn’t be happy for your colleagues to see.

We have an active presence on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr to help us reach different audiences, and we always invite staff to help us engage and educate the public via these channels. There are a huge number of benefits to using social media – if you want to know more or get involved, please get in touch at communications@eastamb.nhs.uk.

Published 26th June, 2016