Patient confidentiality
As part of its duty of care, University Hospitals Bristol NHS
Foundation Trust is committed to protecting patients'
confidentiality. Legally, we have to get permission from patients
or their next of kin in order to give any information to the media.
Requests for interviewing and or photographing patients must always
be made through the Communications team.
Condition checks
We are able to give a basic condition check to the media where a
named individual has been identified and after the patient or their
next of kin gives consent for this information to be released;
otherwise we will not be able to provide a condition check.
Requests for condition checks should be made to the Communications
team.
Dealing with patient complaints through the media
We are legally obliged to ask permission of patients to discuss
their individual circumstances. In the event of a media enquiry
regarding a patient complaint about their clinical treatment, or
about other hospital services, we do have to check the individual
or their next of kin is happy for us to talk to the media. This is
not because we are trying to be obstructive. This is because,
legally, we have to confirm the patient is willing to have
information about their care shared publicly.
Media contacting hospital staff
Staff are not authorised to represent the Trust to the
media. If staff are contacted directly by the media it is our
policy that they must refer the journalist to the Communications
team in the first instance.
Visits to hospital sites
All media visits to our hospitals must be cleared in advance
through the Communications office. We are not being over
bureaucratic; this policy is in place because privacy and security
for patients is very important. It is the role of the
Communications team to help smooth the way for media visits and
filming.
Non-news, location or commercial filming
We encourage this where it is operationally possible.
However, we do make a charge to cover staff time, administration
and disruption. Permission to film will not be granted until
the Trust is satisfied that appropriate public liability insurance
is in place and a filming agreement has been signed.
Freedom of Information enquiries
Further information here can be found on our FOI pages.
Fundraising or charity requests
For fundraising or charity enquiries, contact Bristol & Weston
Hospitals Charity on 0117
927 7120 or the Wallace and Gromit Grand Appeal
on 0800 919 649.
