Twenty-three NHS trusts are being urged to suspend the use of the Oxevision monitoring system developed by Oxehealth that continually records video of mental health patients in their bedrooms. Mental health groups are concerned the system is a breach of human rights, the right to privacy, and could add to the amount of stress that they are under. One patient has already complained, saying the system amounts to “covert surveillance”. The system monitors patients puls and breathing using an optical sensor (a camera with infrared capabilities that works in the dark). Video recordings can be kept for 24-72 hours, decided by the individual trusts. A spokesperson for Rethink Mental Illness said: “While we appreciate that the motivation for putting surveillance cameras in people’s bedrooms stems from the need to protect them, to do so without clear consent is unjustifiable and this pilot should be suspended immediately.” The monitoring system is also used by the police and care homes.
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