12.11.18
NHS gives staff guidance on using WhatsApp during emergency situations
The NHS has instructed staff members to use the messaging application WhatsApp to communicate when responding to emergency situations, new official guidance shows.
Clinicians have previously used the app to assist them in responding to major disasters such as the 2016 Croydon tram crash, terrorist attacks on London Bridge and Manchester Arena, and last year’s tragic Grenfell Tower Fire.
Now, with official guidelines from NHS England, it is hoped greater use of the technology will allow staff members to deal with major developing crises more efficiently and effectively.
Guidance includes suggesting to staff that they should only be using applications and messaging services that meet the NHS encryption standard, which would not allow anyone else to use their device, and disable message notifications on their own device to protect patient confidentiality.
Other steps, such as keeping separate clinical records and deleting the original messaging notes once any advice has been transcribed and attributed in the medical record, will allow staff members to message safely, taking into account data sharing and data privacy rules.
Dr Simon Eccles, chief clinical information officer for health and care, said: “Helping people during a crisis like the Grenfell fire, demands a quick response and instant messaging services can be a vital part of the NHS toolkit.
“Health service staff are always responsible about how they use patients’ personal details and these new guidelines will help our doctors and nurses to make safe and effective use of technology under the most intense pressure.”
Dr Helgi Johannsson, consultant in anaesthesia at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, set up a major incident instant messaging group to help coordinate his hospital’s response to Grenfell Tower after learning a key lesson during the Westminster attack.
Dr Johannsson said: “Fully encrypted instant messaging services can be a particularly useful communication tool in delivering care to people during a major incident.
“From the Westminster attack we learnt it was important not to overload the emergency care co-ordinators with offers of help, so with Grenfell we used instant messaging to help coordinate which staff should come in, who was needed where and plan the service for later on that day which vastly improved the care we were able to provide.
“These sensible guidelines will make the care of our patients safer through better communication by NHS staff.”
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