In a world where everything from dinner to doctor visits ends up online, NHS staff are speaking out against a new trend that’s making their jobs harder—patients secretly filming hospital appointments and sharing them on platforms like TikTok and Instagram.
Hidden Cameras in Clinics Stir Growing Concern
Healthcare workers say they’re increasingly being recorded without their knowledge, often while they’re performing sensitive treatments.
These videos, which sometimes include footage of other patients, are then shared publicly for likes and followers.
Understandably, NHS staff are feeling anxious, uncomfortable, and even unsafe.
The Society of Radiographers (SoR) is now calling for national rules to be put in place to stop covert filming in clinics and hospitals altogether.
Their message is simple: filming without permission isn’t just disrespectful, it could also put patients’ privacy and care at risk.
Distracted and Distressed: How Covert Filming Affects Staff
Ashley d’Aquino, a therapeutic radiographer in London, spoke at the SoR’s Annual Delegates’ Conference.
She shared stories of fellow staff members feeling overwhelmed and exposed.
One patient’s family member started filming right in the middle of a cancer treatment session.
Another patient handed over her phone to a staff member to take a photo—only for the staff member to find out she had also been secretly filmed for a personal blog.
“We’re wearing our name badges, so our identities are right there in any video,” d’Aquino said. “It leaves people feeling anxious and vulnerable.”
When Social Media Enters the Treatment Room
One particularly troubling case involved a 19-year-old who filmed her parent receiving a cannula.
She didn’t ask permission, and worse still, in the next treatment bay, another patient was undergoing consent for a virtual colonoscopy—an extremely private and potentially embarrassing procedure.
Staff worry that others in the background—patients who may be there for serious or sensitive reasons—could accidentally appear in these videos.
Some might even be at risk if their presence in a hospital were made public.
“I lost sleep over it,” the staff member said. “Even though I know I did my job right, having it all caught on video made me question everything.”
Misunderstood Equipment and Online Panic
It’s not just people that are being recorded—hospital equipment is being photographed too.
One assistant mentioned patients taking pictures of radiology scanners and posting them online with misleading captions, sparking fear and confusion among the public about radiation or procedures they don’t fully understand.
Why Guidelines Are Needed Now More Than Ever
Dean Rogers from the SoR emphasized that this is no longer a fringe issue—it’s affecting all healthcare workers.
While some hospital trusts already have rules in place, there’s currently no national guidance to address it.
“Does this violate another patient’s privacy? Does it disrupt the care process?” Rogers asked.
“We need clear, consistent policies across all NHS trusts.
Staff should be able to do their jobs safely, and patients should feel secure in a hospital environment.”
When Recording Is Helpful
That said, not all recordings are problematic. According to d’Aquino, there can be valid reasons for patients to want to record medical consultations—especially when trying to remember details later.
But the line between helpful and harmful gets blurred when people reach for their phones out of habit or to create content.
“Phones have become so integrated into our daily lives that recording everything feels normal,” she said.
“But in a hospital setting, that habit can have serious consequences.”