When a member faced a direct breach of patient trust through workplace surveillance, the union provided the legal and advocacy support to restore a safe care environment.
Case Study One – Professionalism and Privacy
The foundation of effective dietetic care is the confidential, one-on-one relationship between a dietitian and their client. This trust allows for the open and honest conversations that are essential for successful health outcomes.
But what happens when that safe space is violated?
This was the critical situation one of our members, let’s call her “Anya,” faced at her workplace, a community-based health centre.
The Challenge: A Direct Threat to Patient Privacy
Management announced the installation of Continuous Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) in all common areas. Initially, this seemed focused on hallways and waiting rooms. However, the plan shockingly included installing cameras inside patient consultation rooms.
For Anya, this was an immediate red flag. In a community centre, clients discuss deeply personal issues: financial constraints affecting food choices, family dynamics, eating disorders, and sensitive medical histories. The presence of a camera would:
- Directly Breach Confidentiality: It would visually and audibly record every private detail shared in a session, a clear violation of professional privacy standards and legislation.
- Chill Therapeutic Communication: Clients would be far less likely to speak openly if they knew their most personal struggles were being recorded and potentially viewed by others.
- Undermine Professional Integrity: As a regulated health professional, Anya is bound by a strict code of ethics to protect client privacy above all else. This policy forced her into an impossible ethical conflict.
Anya knew this was wrong, but raising a concern about a facility-wide security decision felt intimidating to do alone.
The Solution: The Union as a Shield and Advocate
Anya reached out to our union for support, and we immediately mobilized. Our union team provided her with:
- Expert Legal Analysis: We clarified the specific laws and professional college regulations that mandate client confidentiality, highlighting that recording clinical consultations is a serious breach.
- A Strategic Approach: We helped Anya frame her argument not as opposition to security, but as a necessary defense of professional practice standards and client rights. We worked with her to prepare a formal, professional submission for management.
- Unwavering Collective Support: The union assured Anya that she had the full weight of our collective agreement and advocacy power behind her. We were prepared to escalate the matter formally on her behalf.
Empowered with this backing, Anya presented a clear, compelling, and professional case to management. She effectively outlined the legal and professional risks the centre faced by recording privileged health conversations.
A Successful Outcome for Professional Standards
The result was a clear victory for patient rights and ethical practice. Management, upon understanding the serious professional and legal implications, agreed to revise their policy.
They completely removed the CCTV cameras from all patient consultation rooms.
This decision ensured that clients at the community centre could continue to seek care in a safe, private, and confidential environment, and more importantly that our member could practice according to her professional ethical obligations.
Your Union is Your Professional Partner
Anya’s story is a powerful example of how our union exists not just to protect wages, but to protect the very conditions that allow us to practice our profession ethically and effectively.
If you are facing a workplace policy that conflicts with your professional standards, patient safety, or your rights, you do not have to face it alone.
Contact your union. Together, we uphold the standards of our profession.