Osaka hospital disciplines nurse over unauthorised patient videos on social media
In short
An Osaka hospital said on October 15 that it had disciplined a staff member over unauthorised filming of patients and social-media posts. Nippon TV identified the employee as a nurse who filmed patients repeatedly while on duty in July; the nurse later left the hospital.
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Iseikai Kokusai Sogo Byoin (医誠会国際総合病院), a hospital in Osaka's Kita ward, said on October 15 that an employee had filmed patients without permission and posted footage on social media. The hospital said it had taken disciplinary action against the employee, who subsequently left. It did not disclose the specific measure, according to newspaper reports. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
Nippon TV identified the employee as a nurse and cited the hospital's operator as saying the filming happened repeatedly during work in July. The broadcaster reported that hospital rules prohibited employees from filming inside the facility. It said the posts included footage of a patient refusing medical treatment, as well as a nurse cutting a patient's fringe and laughing at the reaction. [ 3 ]
Newspaper accounts described videos of a patient lying in bed and groaning, and of an employee laughing while cutting a patient's hair. They also reported that a video carried an on-screen caption acknowledging its highly private nature while calling it funny. The reports attributed the disciplinary action and the employee's subsequent departure to the hospital; they did not specify the form of the punishment. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
The hospital apologised to patients and families and asked employees and people who had posted the material to remove the circulated posts, Tokyo Shimbun and Nishi-Nippon Shimbun reported. Nippon TV said the operating organisation also posted an apology on its website for the anxiety and distress caused to those involved. The operator said it would work to ensure thorough staff education. [ 2 , 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The hospital apologised to patients and families and requested the removal of circulated posts, newspapers reported. Its operator said it would strengthen staff education, according to Nippon TV.
Key facts
- Iseikai Kokusai Sogo Byoin (医誠会国際総合病院) in Osaka's Kita ward disclosed the unauthorised filming and posts on October 15. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- The employee was disciplined and subsequently left; the hospital did not disclose the specific disciplinary measure. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Videos showed a patient groaning in bed and an employee laughing while cutting a patient's hair. [ 1 , 2 , 4 ]
- Nippon TV reported that a nurse filmed inpatients repeatedly during work in July. [ 3 ]
- The hospital apologised to patients and families and sought removal of the posts. [ 2 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The exact disciplinary measure was not disclosed. Newspaper reports explicitly say the hospital did not reveal the punishment's details.
- The hospital said staff had filmed patients without permission and posted the footage on social media. Reported by a single source so far