Press office

Being part of our online community

We welcome and encourage open discussion and comments on our social media sites. We look forward to hearing from you in all circumstances, including when you want to share a criticism of the hospital or trust. However, we work hard to ensure our forums are a supportive environment for our patients, families, staff and the general community and we expect that your comments and posts will always be respectful of others.

Please note that comments and posts that we consider offensive, abusive, bullying or which unreasonably upset our community will be deleted immediately. Participants who repeatedly post inappropriate material will be blocked from the site.

Visitors who perpetuate views that are contradicted by evidence-based research and global health expertise, and which pose a threat to public and individual health, will be immediately blocked. This includes participants who harass other visitors to the page with incorrect medical information.

If we are made aware of any comments made on social media sites, outside of our social media pages, that are threatening, unlawful or abusive, and relate to or involve our organisation; we will investigate these comments and take any necessary action to protect the hospital, our staff, patients and families.

When participating in conversations or posting comments on social media sites, please keep these important factors in mind. Always remember that when you post a comment to a blog or social media site, it is published for the world to see. For your own privacy and that of your family, you should consider carefully how much detailed personal medical information linked to your name you want published on the Internet. We recommend you also exercise caution and avoid posting detailed personal information like your location, financial information, etc.

Thank you for supporting and contributing to the Barts Health social community.

Monitoring our social media channels

We make a significant effort to monitor and respond to posts and questions on our social media platforms, however we may not always be able to respond to all posts or answer online requests for information in a timely manner, particularly outside business hours.

By submitting content to any of the Barts Health social media sites (wall posts, comments, photos, links, etc.), you understand and acknowledge that this information is available to the public, and that we may use this information for internal and external communications, promotional and fundraising purposes.

Please note that other participants may use your posted information beyond the control of Barts Health. If you do not wish to have the information you have made available via the above mentioned sites used, published, copied and/or reprinted, please do not post it on any of these sites.

Using a camera, video or audio recorder in our hospitals

We understand that speaking with your treating team may feel overwhelming, especially when there is a lot of information to take in. This is why you may record your consultation or treatment for your private use.

However, please speak to your clinician before you start recording so they can provide consent and ensure that the recording does not interfere with your treatment. Your clinician may make a note in your health record stating that you have recorded the consultation or care being provided.

You may not take photos in clinical areas or disclose or publicise a photo, video, or audio recording if it has been modified and is not in connection to your consultation.

We kindly request that you do not share any photos or recordings with other parties, including social media sites, if you have not received consent from the staff or people in the photo or recording. This would be in breach of the Data Protection Act and would be a criminal offence. It is your responsibility to keep the recording safe and secure.

If you wish to undertake photos, filming or recordings in our hospitals for media purposes then please contact our media team.