Following the Financial Times (FT) article in October highlighting the extent to which WhatsApp is being used within the NHS to share patient data, Information Commissioner John Edwards has expressed concerns that such use of the messaging app could be "hugely problematic" for the NHS and its patients.
In comments given to the FT, Edwards called for hospitals in England to conduct random checks on doctors' and nurses' phones to ensure the safe use of WhatsApp for discussing patient care. Edwards said, "We have to recognise that [the use of WhatsApp] is a reality... but it needs to occur out in the open and in a way that is in accordance with policies and procedures."
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