There has recently been a special group set up known as the NHS Internet and Social Media Group whose members are made up of specialist ICT NHS Staff (NWIS NHS Informatics), some of the NHS ICT Security Managers and two Trade Union Representatives from the NHS Wales Welsh Government Partnership Forum who are myself and Jane Carroll from the R.C.N. The group is led in this project by Dr Martin Murphy.
The group ( a sub group of the NHS Wales Partnership Forum) has been formed to turn Social Media such as Facebook, Twitter, Blogs etc. ON for it to be utilised by Staff, Service Users, and the General Public to enable Social Media to be utilised by as many people as possible in all NHS functions within Wales in a co-ordinated and meaningful way, to create a portal for information to flow both in and out of the NHS and to overcome the technical issues that have so far prevented this co-ordinated approach. By year end there will be an NHS Wales Social Media and Internet policy for Trusts to adopt and the architecture of the system will allow for a better service throughout Wales.
One of the first challenges involve the architecture of systems used by NHS electronic traffic. There will be a clear divide between NHS business, patient records, patient information, confidential matters regarding care and management of patients and services and the category of traffic surrounding Internet and Social Media. In simple terms there is a huge tube which currently every electronic communication flows through and as some users know it can be very difficult when there is congestion between 12 midday and 2p.m. on weekdays as the system can slow down dramatically which has an impact on some departments. Research has shown that a large proportion of this lunchtime traffic is from staff utilising their “quota time” to check Facebook, Twitter and read blogs, check the internet and other non business related activity. It is proposed to change the architecture of the “tube” to create a tube within a tube so that internet and social media traffic can be redirected at access to the portal that keeps NHS patient business clear and flowing.
There is a recognition that Staff are already using their own devices to check Social Media during this slowdown period, so the improvements and re-alignment will benefit everybody as there will be a change of emphasis and Staff will not be discouraged from using Social Media or internet during work as has happened in many departments.
This won’t be a free for all as Staff aren’t paid to be on Social Media sites, they are paid to do their job, however where the Internet is concerned there are many occasions when Staff could do their jobs better with improved access to the internet which would be legislated for within the policy.
There are also occasions where communicating on Social Media can realise work benefits.
It won’t be a move from a famine to a feast but there are accounts of some NHS Trusts not allowing their Staff to use Internet or Social Media at all from their Trust P.C. and limited use of the Internet.
ICT Security experts advise on sites that are blocked and nearly all for very good reasons. There will not be a relaxation of security but an improvement in access. It is already widespread that Staff use their own device to access information which is beneficial to the patient, there are anecdotes that Staff might even have to leave the Unit or Ward to go and get a good signal for a work related enquiry.
Nobody on the group underestimates the scale of the challenges ahead but an incremental approach will ensure that these can be overcome as they arise.
Some NHS Staff and Managers do not “get it” regarding Social Media and must be encouraged.
The members of the group have a clear focus and phrases such as “what CAN we do?” , what SHOULD we do?”, “how CAN we MAKE THIS HAPPEN?” are emphasised rather than words such as “CAN’T”, “SHOULDN’T” and “COULDN’T”. Nobody is pretending that this isn’t challenging but there are beacons of activity and good practice across the whole spectrum of the Public Sector, Voluntary and Private Sector of organisations who have embraced this approach.
Chief Executives will be encouraged to write a blog, and engage with the public they serve via Social Media. Departments will have an internet presence, there will be a more transparent approach in engaging with Staff, Patients and the Public. As has been said the NHS has often created a consultation: asked the public to write in and engage, then reached the deadline date and switched off the address leaving people no access in at all on any other matter unless they write an e-mail or have an appointment. This is not how the NHS has invested in it’s own inter-department communications with it’s own Clinical Communications Gateway which is the NHS Wales
secure postal service that carries electronic messages including referrals, discharges, letters etc. between care services. It allows any type of common file type in to be attached to a message and is very flexible and rolled out to more than 94% of Welsh G.P. practices and all LHBs. It is carrying hundreds of thousands of referrals per year and has proved very popular with GPs and Consultants as it uses the GP system to automatically load most of the relevant information into the referral message leaving the referrer to focus on adding the precise reason for referral.
The vision is that the same revolution that has already happened in the business side of the NHS in Wales can now apply to Internet and Social Media and the time is now and things must improve.
We all live in the real world and NHS Staff are all covered by Trust Policies, many Staff by an additional Code of Conduct and Registered Staff by Fitness to Practice, (broad explanations are available of each of these by following the link below) but there are some Professional Issues to be aware of.
http://www.nhswalesgovernance.com/display/Home.aspx?a=69&s=13&m=0&d=0&p=0
These standards must be maintained and adhered to in all NHS activity including the use of Internet and Social Media. I have described to colleagues that there are laws about what you can and cannot say as well as what you can and cannot write. What somebody writes on Facebook is as public as what you would write on a postcard and put in the Post Office window. There will be guidance in the policy regarding standards expected of NHS Staff using Social Media and Internet and this has been welcomed by the group as an essential feature of the work programme.
There are many good examples of best practice around the Public Sector in Wales (including the NHS) in the area of Social Media and Engagement with the public. As you can see by following this link there is a gold standard already established in Wales and key pioneers have agreed to help us within the NHS achieve a similar high standard. It would be a shame if NHS Wales arrive a bit too late to the party.
http://www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/110/
Joseph Conaghan's Blog: JOE BLOGS 
This is all really encouraging. I don’t know if you are aware of the NHS – HE Forum Connectivity Best Practice Working Group which has been looking at this issue of blocking social media in the NHS. More info here https://community.ja.net/groups/nhs-he-forum-connectivity-project/document/web-20-and-social-media-education-and-research
Would be really interested to hear how you’ve been able to start to push things forward in Wales.