Website and social media terms of use
Our website
Disclaimer
Whilst we endeavour to ensure that the information contained on this site is true and accurate, we cannot give any warranty to that effect. We cannot be responsible for the consequences of reliance on that information, and any information of an advisory nature is general only and cannot be regarded as applicable to a specific case.
However this disclaimer is not intended to affect your statutory rights. In particular, please note that we cannot accept any responsibility for the contents of materials viewable from this site which are not provided or maintained by us. These materials may be provided by (but are not limited to) links, frames and portals.
Communications in connection with this service may be sent by e-mail. For ease of use and compatibility communications other than payments will not be sent in an encrypted form unless you require it and provide the certification to enable us to communicate with you in that way. E-mail unless encrypted is not a fully secure means of communication.
Copyright Notice
The materials contained on this site except as where identified as being the copyright of any other person are copyright to us and may be subject to other intellectual property rights. Whilst the pages may be downloaded or copied for the purposes for which the site is intended, such copies may only be used by you and within your organisation, and not for any commercial use without our express consent.
All copyrights and trademark notices, marks, disclaimers and other such elements must be preserved and upheld at all times.
Our social media channels
The use of social media has become an integral part of everyday life. We must embrace this to maximise its opportunities but must also carefully manage its use to ensure appropriate protection for all users.
Used well, social media can improve the way in which we share information, empower patients and improve openness and transparency of Benenden Hospital.
Social media ethos is all about engagement, participation and relationship building. Every platform encourages its users to take part in commenting on what they see and getting involved in conversations with others. This makes it a particularly useful tool for both informing our patients and for gaining their feedback, as well as promoting our services and treatments. Used well, social media can be part of collaborative working and co-production.
These guidelines set out our expectations for social media use for those visiting the hospital and for those who engage with us online via our social media platforms. It outlines the ways in which staff can ensure acceptable use of the internet and social media by patients and visitors.
We want our social media channels to be a welcoming and inclusive environment for all, and therefore we ask all visitors to follow these guidelines.
Patient and visitor use of social media
Patients and visitors to Benenden Hospital will be able to access our guest wi-fi across the hospital premises. The appropriateness of accessible content will be automatically managed by the IT team using existing security protocols. This is monitored by various virus and malware scanning platforms and are governed through a cyber secure firewall with appropriate content filters and rules.
We require all our patients who use mobile devices to use them in a courteous, considerate and non-intrusive manner to help maintain a caring environment and effective working environment for staff.
Mobile devices must not be used to photograph staff, patients or facilities without the explicit permission of the individual and the ward/department manager.
Patients may take photographs of themselves and/or their relatives for personal reasons and for their own personal use only. Patients and visitors must ensure that other patients are not visible in any part of such photography, this is to ensure confidentiality and to protect privacy and dignity.
Express permission is needed for photographs to be taken of the inside of the hospital premises, particularly wards and clinical areas (including hospital staff). This should be obtained from the Ward Manager or Matron in the first instance. Taking photographs on our site of other patients, staff or visitors without informed consent is not permitted.
We understand that our patients will want to stay in touch with their friends and family whilst in our care. We also have a duty to protect patient confidentiality and a responsible to safeguard our patients in our care. The following guidelines apply to all our patients:
- We do not allow graphic, obscene, explicit or discriminatory comments or links
- We do not allow any form of interaction that is abusive, hateful, threatening or intended to defame any person or organisation
- We do not allow third party solicitations, any spam or links to unsuitable content
- We do not allow any comments, links or posts that suggest or encourage illegal activity
- Participation comes with full responsibility for your comments, username and any information provided
- Benenden Hospital is an inclusive organisation where we support and encourage diversity and inclusion to maintain a welcoming environment for all
- We reserve the right to remove repeat offenders from viewing and commenting on future posts
You may overhear conversations about other patients while in our wards or departments. Please respect the confidential nature of these conversations by not sharing details about others in our care without their prior consent. If we obtain evidence of social media activity that shares such confidential information, we will ask you to remove that content.
Defamatory comments about members of our staff should not be shared in any public forum. Legal advice will be sought, and action taken where necessary.
Monitoring of social media
Our social media accounts are managed by the Marketing Team. They are not monitored 24/7. Normal working hours are 9am to 5pm.
Queries will be answered in the next working day.
We welcome engagement and comments on our social media posts. However, comments which are deemed inappropriate, racist or offensive will be removed.
Anyone who persistently trolls our social media accounts will be removed and permanently blocked.