‘Covert filming could get you prosecuted’, trust warns staff after undercover exposé

An ambulance trust that was the subject of a documentary involving covert filming by an employee has warned staff they could be subject to ‘disciplinary action and even prosecution’ if they take this type of action.

East of England Ambulance Service Trust sent an all staff email yesterday outlining the potential consequences of filming covertly and reminding staff they must adhere to the trust’s social media and digital guidelines.

The email, seen by HSJ, followed Channel 4 broadcasting a documentary called Undercover ambulance: NHS Chaos – Dispatches which featured footage filmed covertly by one of the trust’s apprentice emergency technicians, and laid bare the extreme pressures on hospital and ambulance staff.

The message sent on Thursday by the trust’s interim officer Melissa Dowdeswell, said the apprentice who carried out the filming had since resigned and then set out what support staff could access from the trust if they had been affected by “an incredibly difficult couple of weeks”.

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Source: HSJ, 17 March 2023