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Patient's Distress: Bedroom Cameras Worsened Mental Health
27 Apr
Summary
- Bedroom cameras allegedly worsened a patient's mental health.
- An NHS trust paid £925 over the use of monitoring technology.
- Half of England's mental health trusts use the Oxevision system.
A former mental health patient, identified as Miss B, reported that the Oxevision system, employing cameras and infrared sensors in her bedroom, significantly worsened her mental state during her stay. The health ombudsman partially upheld her complaint against Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), concluding that the system exacerbated her anxiety and eroded her trust.
EPUT has apologized to Miss B and committed to revising its policies concerning patient consent for such monitoring. The ombudsman mandated a £925 payment to Miss B, acknowledging the suffering she endured. Oxevision is utilized by half of England's mental health trusts to detect patient distress, complementing in-person checks.
Miss B stated she was not adequately informed about the system and her requests to disable it were denied, leading to confusion and a feeling of being constantly observed. The ombudsman's report also highlighted EPUT's inadequate record-keeping related to Oxevision's use. NHS England has directed all mental health trusts to review their visual monitoring systems to ensure humane and compassionate application, adhering to human rights principles and legal consent requirements.
