Personal Mobile Phone and Recording Devices Policy

First Contact Physiotherapists and MSK Outpatient Physiotherapist

Author Reviewer	Ravi Shanker, Operational Lead Chandrasekhar Dekka, Clinical Director	Version	1.0
Effective date	August 2026	Review date	August 2027
Applies to	FCPs, physiotherapists, locums, and contractors	Status	Approved by: Ravi Shanker

1. Purpose

This policy sets clear standards for personal mobile phone and recording-device use by Nexus Health clinicians working in GP practices and Primary Care Networks. It aims to protect patient privacy, dignity, confidentiality and trust, while supporting safe clinical practice and NHS information-governance requirements.

2. Core Standard

Personal mobile phones should not normally be used or handled during face-to-face patient consultations

Phones must be placed on silent/do-not-disturb and kept securely away, preferably in a bag, locker, drawer or pocket.
Personal phones should not be placed on the clinical desk or examination area.
Clinicians should not check calls, messages, social media or other personal content during a consultation without prior permission from patient if expecting an emergency.
Where a host practice/PCN has a stricter policy, the local policy must also be followed rather than Nexus Policy.

3. Photography, Video and Audio Recording

Clinicians must not photograph, video-record or audio-record a patient, clinical record, computer screen or patient-identifiable information using a personal device. Photograph of part of body with consent from patient for education purpose can be taken and advisable to show patient what picture has been taken. Eg knee swelling, deformity of body part or etc.

Where clinical photography or recording is genuinely required, valid and documented consent and information-governance process must be used. Routine consent to examination or treatment does not constitute consent to recording. Document that patient has been consented for recording or photography of body part of movement for educational purpose and video or photography has been shown to patient.

4. Legitimate Clinical or Emergency Use

Approved clinical use of mobile technology may be permitted where required for secure authentication, authorised NHS applications or other approved systems.

If an urgent personal matter requires a clinician to remain contactable, the phone should remain on silent. Wherever possible, the clinician should leave the consultation room before dealing with the matter and ensure the patient continues to receive appropriate attention.

5. Patient Information and Confidentiality

Do not photograph clinical notes with identifiable data, referral letters or EMIS/SystmOne screens with identifiable data.
Do not store patient-identifiable information in personal notes, photo galleries, cloud storage or personal applications with identifiable data.
Do not send patient-identifiable information through personal WhatsApp, SMS, personal email or social-media accounts.
Any personal device including smart phones, camera, or laptops use must comply with Nexus Health and host-practice information-governance requirements.

6. Suspected Unauthorised Recording or Data Incident

Any allegation or suspicion of unauthorised photography, recording or inappropriate handling of patient information must be reported immediately to the Nexus Health Clinical/Operational Lead and, where appropriate, the host practice.

Potentially relevant information must not be deleted, altered, transferred or reset.
The clinician must cooperate with a fair and proportionate investigation.
Any device review must respect privacy and data-protection requirements. Intrusive searches of a personal device should not be undertaken without appropriate HR, information-governance and/or legal advice.
Potential personal-data breaches must be escalated to the appropriate Information Governance/DPO lead.

7. Responsibilities and Non-Compliance

All clinicians are responsible for complying with this policy. Team Leads and Clinical Supervisors should reinforce it through induction, supervision and governance meetings.

Breaches will be managed proportionately according to severity and may result in additional training, reflective practice, formal investigation, disciplinary action, information-governance escalation, or referral to the host organization/professional regulator where required or suspension or termination depending upon the level of severity and PCN’s agreement.

8. Training and Review

This policy should be included in staff induction, reinforced through clinical governance and reviewed annually or sooner following a relevant incident, complaint or change in national guidance. Staff must complete applicable NHS data-security and information-governance training.

9. Key References

NHS England – Primary Medical Services Policy and Guidance Manual: Data Security and Protection.
NHS England – Information Governance and Data Protection.
NHS England – Records Management Policy / Records Management Code of Practice.
NHS England – Primary Care GP Digital Services Operating Model (including personal device).
Care Quality Commission (CQC) – Regulation 11: Need for Consent and guidance on use of technology in care.
UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

Staff Acknowledgement

I confirm that I have read and understood this policy. I understand that personal mobile phones should be kept securely away during patient consultations and that patients or patient-identifiable information must not be photographed, video-recorded or audio-recorded using a personal device.

Name of Clinician: _________________________
Signature of Clinician: _______________________