14 DAY TRIAL // A freedom of information (FOI) request made by Guardian Healthcare revealed that many of the staff members of the National Health Service (NHS) received warnings and some were even thrown out after they showed an inappropriate conduct on social media websites. According to The Guardian, 25 of the most important health organizations in the UK were asked to provide such information but only 18 answered the requests.
The findings show that Newcastle Upon Tyne Foundation trust, one of the largest in the country, filed 16 warnings, while 2 of their employees were dismissed for inappropriate conversations and comments that involved patients and management.
The University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire recorded seven actions in the past three years, but they failed to disclose the nature of the penalties.
More curious findings show that Leeds Teaching Hospitals trust penalized a member of staff for spending too much time on Facebook during work hours. Some organizations went as far as restricting internet access to make sure their employees would not get carried away on social networking sites.
The Department of Health, the British Medical Association (BMA) and the Nursing and Midwifery Council issued guidances that regulate the usage of Facebook, Twitter and other such sites.
The BMA warns that it is inappropriate to post informal or personal comments on other staff members or patients, reminding NHS employees that it is their duty to protect patient confidentiality.
As it turns out, many people don't know when they're crossing the line in virtual environments. In this case we are witnessing the phenomenon that affects the British health care system, but other work areas from other parts of the world are not doing much better.
Besides training sessions where staff is educated on how to avoid malware, companies should also offer guidance on how to use these websites.