Nurse suspended for op pics on Facebook

A nurse has been suspended following reports that she took photos of patients having operations and posted them on a social networking site.

The member of staff from Southern General Hospital in Glasgow allegedly secretly took the pictures without other members of staff knowing and posted them on Facebook.

It is believed that the photographs were taken using a mobile phone and were spotted on the internet by one of the nurse’s colleagues.

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde confirmed that a member of staff has been suspended pending an internal investigation.

Margaret Watt, chairwoman of the Scotland Patients Association said: “The health board has taken the appropriate action by suspending the person.

"But I would like to think that there is some kind of law where the police are able to take some action because this was a breach of patient’s human rights and privacy.”

The incident has caused the patient group to demand a ban on hospital staff carrying mobile phones at work.

Watt added: “If a staff member brings their own mobile to work, they should be made to store it in a locker.

“I have seen people being challenged by security staff in shopping malls for trying to take mobile phone pictures. If you are not allowed to take them in shopping centres, you certainly should not be able to take them during operations.”

Link: Scotland Patients’ Association