When you attend the medical photography department, we will take your clinical photographs or video recording as requested by your healthcare professional.
Clinical photographs or video recordings are used to help monitor your medical condition and your treatment. They can be used alongside other tests such as x-rays, scans and blood tests.
Your clinical photographs or video recording form a part of your medical record. With your permission, your photographs may be used for education and/or research purposes.
Your appointment
When you are referred, your healthcare professional will talk to you about the reason they have requested clinical photographs or video recording to be taken and will ask you to sign a medical photography consent form before any photographs or video recordings are made.
Usually you will be referred to the medical photography department on the same day as your hospital appointment where you will be photographed or filmed in our fully equipped photographic studio. We can arrange for your appointment to be made on another day if you prefer. If you cannot attend an appointment, please contact us to rearrange it.
Alternatively we may visit you in clinic, on the ward or even in the operating theatre.
Our photographers always respect your privacy and dignity. If you need to undress for your clinical photographs or video recording we will offer you a chaperone that can stay with you during the session to make you feel more comfortable.
Please note – clinical photography involves the use of flashing lights so if you suffer from any medical conditions that might be affected by this, please let your photographer know.
Informed consent
The medical photography consent form has three options that you may sign:
- Medical records: to assist with your direct care and treatment.
- Teaching and research: to train other healthcare professionals.
- Patient to patient: to show to other patients at this hospital who may be having the same treatment as you.
You have the right to change your mind about the permission you have agreed to at any time by calling our department on 01642 835907.
Publication: your clinical photographs or video recording may be of such interest that a healthcare professional may wish to publish them in a medical journal, text book or online. Before they can be used in this way, you will be contacted and asked to sign a separate consent form if you agree to this.
Please note: You should be aware that once your photographs or video have been published, it will not be possible to withdraw your consent. Please speak to a healthcare professional if you require more information.
Image storage and confidentiality
Your clinical photographs and video recordings are stored on our trust database. This secure database can only be accessed by authorised healthcare professionals in the trust to ensure patient confidentiality is maintained.
Copyright
South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust owns the copyright to all clinical photographs and video recordings. In association with the Data Protection Act (1998), you can request copies of your clinical photographs or video recordings by contacting the trust’s legal and risk department.