Ten NHS trusts referred over monitoring consent issues
Ten mental health trusts reported to the CQC after reviews revealed issues with patient consent procedures regarding Oxevision camera monitoring.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- Ten mental health trusts referred to the CQC by NHS England
- Issues involve patient consent procedures for Oxevision infrared camera monitoring
- The matter emerged during the Lampard Inquiry examining over 2,000 deaths
- NHS England first became aware of safety concerns regarding the tech in 2021
Ten mental health trusts have been reported to the health regulator following problems with patient consent procedures when monitoring individuals using camera technology.
The issue came to light during the latest hearings of the Lampard Inquiry, which is examining the deaths of more than 2,000 people who spent time in mental health units in Essex between 2000 and the end of 2023.
The infrared technology, known as Oxevision, is deployed in patient bedrooms to monitor breathing and pulse rates without requiring staff to physically enter the room.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
NHS England informed the inquiry that it had passed information to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) after reviewing the deployment of digital monitoring systems, noting that safety concerns were first flagged in 2021.
The inquiry was shown an internal 2022 NHS England email where a staff member stated patients were not being given the choice to refuse being filmed. By 2023, NHS England instructed trusts that monitoring technology should not be implemented as a blanket approach and decisions must be made individually with patient involvement where possible.
Implementing automated infrared tracking in psychiatric facilities offers significant safety advantages by reducing nighttime disruptions, yet it introduces profound human rights challenges. Ensuring transparent consent mechanisms is vital to protect vulnerable patients from feeling surveilled without proper legal and ethical safeguards in place.
Gareth Harry, NHS England's National Delivery Director for Mental Health, stated that a review identified 10 trusts failing to operate consent mechanisms in line with digital principles. NHS England wrote to the CQC on October 2 to share these findings.
"I would expect every provider of mental health services to have their values and behaviours driven by a human rights approach to mental healthcare."
Gareth Harry, NHS England
Source: BBC Health
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