NHS bans staff from using Zoom over privacy concerns

The NHS has advised doctors against using Zoom video conferencing to communicate with patients over mounting security worries. 

This directive is in line with the recently published guidance from the Information Commissioner’s office and NHSX, which is the latest body to warn against the use of Zoom.

The NHS, which has over 12,000 employees across the UK, has instead suggested staff members use Zoom alternatives such as Bluejeans and Microsoft Teams to carry out video appointments. 

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Privacy matters

With the UK still under lockdown, doctors have been forced to use video conferencing solutions to provide care to patients. However medical staff were often found to be using alternate solutions to assist patients, putting their information at risk.

"The security of patient information and our responsibilities as a Data Controller are of paramount importance to the Trust, and we continue to review national guidance on this matter,” a Central London Community Healthcare NHS trust spokesman said.

“In light of alternative, secure tools being available to our staff, Central London Community Healthcare NHS Trust is not recommending the use of Zoom for patient video appointments,” he added.

While the Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Denham, is in favour of using the latest technology as it helps in assisting the patients with faster diagnoses and consultation, she was quoted saying that she cannot “envisage a situation where she would take action against health and care professional clearly trying to deliver care.”

The NHS has now joined companies including SpaceX, Google, and NASA, along with schools in the United States and Singapore, and the governments of Taiwan, Germany and India in blocking the use of Zoom. 

Zoom has been at the receiving end due to the lack of data security measures on the platform. Even though the platform saw its users base surge to 200 million, incidents like Zoombombing, sending data to Facebook and many more forced its CEO to apologize publicly.

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Via: Telegraph