Video
In certain circumstances it can be difficult to determine what care a patient needs from a verbal description alone.
The Emergency Medical Retrieval & Transfer Service (EMRTS) are now using a facility to obtain a secure live-stream video from callers’ mobile phones at certain incidents, to help our control room clinicians more accurately and rapidly assess patient injuries. This will only be done when clinically necessary with patient and caller consent, or when a patient is unable to consent it will be done in a patient’s best interests. No footage is stored and privacy controls and protocols are in place in connection with this tool.
If you call 999 with potentially life-threatening emergency, you may be called back by one of our Clinicians who will undertake a triage to obtain further information and identify the most appropriate clinical response for you. During this triage process you may be asked if you are willing to take part in a video stream.
This is to enable the clinician to gain a better understanding of your symptoms to help determine the level of care – and response – you require.
Where the clinician feels they would benefit from a visual image, they will ask if you would be happy to participate in a video stream. If you agree, you will be sent a text message allowing you to access the video call on a smart device. By clicking the link, you will actively consent to the video stream. You can also choose not to have a video stream, and this will not affect the clinical care that we will provide to you.
Video streams are not usually recorded. However, it is temporarily enabled on the GoodSam instant-on-scene video streaming system, so researchers working on our 999 Respond project, in conjunction with Warwick University, can analyse interactions at the scene of selected 999 calls.
Swansea Bay University Health Board is the responsible data controller, registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office, and we comply with the Data Protection legislation. For more information on how we process patient data, please see our Privacy Policy
The contact details for the Swansea Bay University Health Board’s Data Protection Officer are outlined below:
Data Protection Officer
Headquarters, Swansea Bay University Health Board
1 Talbot Gateway
Port Talbot
SA12 7BR
Tel: 01639 683336