Today, a coalition of local and national groups have written to Tees Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Trust to call on the Trust to urgently cease the use of Oxevision/LIO technologies in all bedrooms, seclusion rooms and 136 suites.
Our letter highlights that in the context of mounting national concerns, TEWV’s own damning internal reports, and complaints raised by patients under the Trust, TEWV’s continued use of Oxevision is unsafe and illogical. In addition to harming patients, TEWV’s continued use of Oxevision has significant legal implications including under the Human Rights Act and GDPR, with legal, financial and reputational risk for the Trust.
Our letter highlights a report Stop Oxevision obtained through an FOI in 2023 related to a‘safety hazard workshop’ which identified twenty ‘hazards’ relating to the use of the technology. Hazards were far reaching, including risks to data protection, consent, patient dignity, retraumatisation, device error/inadequacy, insufficient staff training, potential misuse by staff, and physical harm. Although the Trust recognises that “the consequences of these hazards occurring would be significant detrimental impact to the service user’s wellbeing [sic]”, TEWV proceeded to install Oxevision regardless.
Our letter also highlights that TEWV continues to use Oxevision in ways that are not in line with national guidance. TEWV’s 2024 Oxevision policy requires that Oxevision is turned on for the first 72 hours of a patient admission. If a patient raises an objection, the camera will remain on for 72 hours/until a MDT has been convened and agree to turn it off. There is no option to opt-out in seclusion or s.136 facilities. Our letter highlights that this policy is not in line with the ruling of the PHSO in relation to the complaint raised by ‘Miss B’ against EPUT, which outlined that patient consent for Oxevision must be sought.
Our letter also discusses TEWV’s own evaluation report of the use of Oxevision across the Trust which was disclosed to Stop Oxevision in an FOI request in 2025. This report reflects a damning picture of Oxevision, and identifies “clear harms” (pg.26) associated with the technology. It highlights the profound negative impacts that Oxevision has on patient wellbeing including:
“patients experiencing elevated feelings of distress, particularly anxiety and paranoia, due to the system” and patients reported feeling “confused” and “retraumatised”.
We also highlight concerns that TEWV seem not to have reported high risk data processing to the ICO, as would be required under GDPR. This is in the context of a current ICO investigation into Oxevision as well as concerns about TEWV’s use of patient video for research purposes, without patient knowledge or consent, which the NHS research ethics board later retracted ethical approval for.
In 2024, in response to The Chronicle, TEWV’s chief nurse Beverley Murphy said: “we continue to listen carefully to the views of our patients, carers and colleagues and are collaborating with them on every aspect of the implementation, to ensure we are using Oxehealth in the best way possible.”
Two years later we believe that truly listening to patients, carers and colleagues would necessitate a full removal of the technology across all TEWV services.
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