Stop Oxevision

I wasn’t told about the cameras when I was admitted to hospital. I was there as a voluntary patient and it was the second time I’d been on this ward. I didn’t actually know the cameras existed until this incident.

I had a pretty standard psychiatric ward bedroom, but I had been allowed to take one of the ward’s giant beanbags into my room because I love to read but couldn’t get comfy on those awful single beds or tiny armchairs.

It was horribly wet and cold outside and I wasn’t feeling very social so I decided to set up camp in my room and read the day away. I got comfy with the beanbag next to the bed so I could put my feet up on the bed, use my bed side table and get a blanket over me. 

I must have been reading for a good few hours because I was over half way through my book when I hear running up the corridor. Moments later my bedroom door flies open and four staff members come bursting in.

They looked very flustered and shocked when they found me curled up on the beanbag.

This is when they told me that the Oxehealth alarm had been raised for my room and when they’d checked on me using the camera, the way I was laid looked like I’d fallen.

I didn’t even know this system existed, let alone that there was a camera in the room!

I’d been curled up there for hours without a face-to-face, visual check being done. It made me wonder just how often they actually do any checks. If I’d actually got hurt how long would it have been before they noticed?

Once I knew about the camera I asked questions but the staff wouldn’t tell me much and gave very vague, elusive answers. I had to Google it myself.

I didn’t spend much time in my room after I found out. My room suddenly felt much less private. It felt like staff would be sat in the office with a bucket of popcorn watching all the patients like a human zoo.

I had much less engagement with staff on the ward than previous wards I’ve been on that don’t use Oxevision. On these wards, staff would do visual checks and often stop and have a chat, ask how I’m feeling or if I need anything and encourage me to spend time out of my room. Whereas on the wards with Oxevision I’d barely see or speak to staff unless I left my room.

I felt very uncomfortable changing or showering because I didn’t have a bathroom door in my room. I felt like there was zero privacy. I tended to try to get dressed or shower at busy periods like meds time, meal times or shift change so I was less likely to be watched on the camera.

I became much more paranoid once I found out about Oxevision.