NHS England bosses have written to mental health providers across the country urging them not to “shut down” the use of controversial CCTV in mental health units and announced an investigation into both its use and its impact on human rights. .
A letter dated September 7 has leaked online. I Following our research into the use of Oxevision, an electronic device now used in over twenty NHS Trusts.
Oxevision measures a patient’s vital signs—breathing and heart rate—and includes 15-second video clips that staff can view in another room at any time of the day or night, even when the patient is undressed. A hospital visitor told me I They saw a naked mental hospital patient on an Oxevision monitor while he was visiting the mental hospital.
The devices, which can alert doctors to actions that could mean a patient is at risk, can be found not only in psychiatric wards and adult dormitories, but also in child and adolescent psychiatric wards across five NHS sites in England.
Its use in recent years has raised concerns among activists about privacy, dignity and consent. Oxehealth, the company behind Oxevision, plays no role in decisions about how or where Oxevision is used in hospitals.
Following the recently published open letter from Stop Oxevision – a new campaign group set up to stop the spread of the system – to NHS England and the Mental Health Foundation, three of the most senior leaders in mental health in England, new instructions have now been given to local authorities. NHS providers.
“Video monitoring systems should never be implemented universally,” the letter states, adding: “Any decision to use VBMS in patient rooms should be made with the best interests of the patient in mind, with the patient being given the opportunity to do so. ” decide”.
If patients are unable to consent to the use of visual monitoring systems in their ward room, they should only be used following a “best interests process under the Mental Capacity Act 2005”, it said. Recipients will be asked to complete a questionnaire regarding their use of such systems.
The letter, written by Professor Tim Kendall (National Clinical Director for Adult Mental Health), Acosia Nyanin (Deputy Chief Nursing Officer) and Professor Prathiba Chitsabesan (National Clinical Director for Children’s Mental Health), marks an important step in the rollout of Oxevision.
Previously, decisions about how best to use the system were left to individual NHS trusts, and there was little national guidance. Now bosses want to understand how individual trusts are using them. The study will serve to “establish a set of principles for the role and use of digital technologies in hospital settings.”
The letter is unusual for official NHS England communications in that it also mentions the brand name of the product along with a more general description of “vision-based CCTV systems”.
Concerns about the systems “have also been recognized by industry stakeholders including the Restrictions Reduction Network and the British Institute for Human Rights,” NHS chiefs said.
Therefore, the letter continues, the National Health Service in England has begun “an investigation into the scientific basis for the use of VBMS.” [vision-based monitoring systems]”.
The Department of Health and Social Care, in conjunction with NHS England, has commissioned the Mental Health Policy Research Unit, a group of academics, to “gather evidence (if any) on the use of surveillance technologies in the mental health sector.”
According to the letter, a review of these technologies from a patient perspective has now been completed and NHS England is now “working with the British Institute of Human Rights to understand the human rights issues associated with the use of cameras in healthcare settings.” “.
The measures are part of a wider initiative to develop national standards for hospital care, NHS England said in a letter.
This will result in a “set of core commitments and standards” for residential care, learning disabilities and autism, and will establish “clear principles to ensure that residential care is safe, therapeutic, compassionate, personalized and as unrestrictive as possible.” ” the development and use of any technological innovation can be taken into account and coordinated.” In addition, a series of workshops will be held with healthcare professionals, experts and scientists to explore the use of technology in hospital settings.
This was stated by a representative of Oxehealth, the company behind Oxevision. I: “Oxehealth warmly welcomes NHS England’s decision to consider the role of technology in hospital settings as part of its national work on culture and care for patients and staff.”
Commenting on the news that the NHS in England (NHSE) will review the evidence base for VBMS and set a set of principles for the role and use of such technologies, the company said: “We couldn’t be more supportive of these goals.” I have been actively collaborating with NHSE on this initiative since April this year.”
The spokesman added: “The letter from NHS England said: “We recognize the importance of digital advances in mental health, where they improve the quality, safety, efficiency and quality of care.” The letter from NHS England describes technologies such as Oxevision as “innovative solutions for specific patient groups”.
An NHS spokesman said: “Any NHS trust that chooses to use this technology must only do so in accordance with legal requirements and ensure that patient and family consent is given.”
Source: I News
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