Women arrested for public order offence for filming empty outpatient department

[bathsh3ba]

www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/news/gloucester-news/woman-arrested-connection-video-filmed-4841311

I don't understand why it is a criminal offence for a member of the public to post a video of an empty outpatient department. It doesn't even tell you anything useful - the outpatient department being empty doesn't mean the wards aren't full. In fact it might even mean it's more likely the wards are full.

Granted I haven't seen the post so maybe she was inciting a riot or something, but on the face of it, this seems like a pretty heavy handed policing approach.

Did she make it clear it was a closed outpatient department in her video?

Perhaps a stamping down on the incredibly unhelpful (dangerous, even) insinuation that the pandemic is being blown out of proportion?

I obviously don’t know but I suspect there’s more to it than meets the eye. It seems unlikely that a random person (eg me) would get the same treatment for simply posting a video like that.

It says it was in relation to, not because of, the filming.

I think she was being disingenuous and stupid but I'm surprised it would be considered criminal

So did she mention that it was a closed outpatient department?

I suspect its not the act itself but the message she was trying to convey. I haven't read the article but is it to show hospitals are empty in parts to prove a conspiracy theory? If so then yes I think this should be dealt with firmly. Fake news will cost lives if people don't adhere to guidance or get vaccinated.

As a HCP outpatients could be closed if it was filmed on a bank holiday, or to divert resources elsewhere if there is a high number of patients or staff vacancy. Appearances in hospitals can be deceiving. The covid areas would show a different story.

@thebearandthemare

Perhaps a stamping down on the incredibly unhelpful (dangerous, even) insinuation that the pandemic is being blown out of proportion?

This too.

Many outpatient procedures have been delayed or cancelled so I suspect the departments will be fairly empty right now! eg my asthma tests were postponed as I - shielding for other reasons - was considered to be safer staying away from hospital.

@cushioncovers I don't know because I haven't seen the post, only the news report

What she’s done has potentially resulted in distress to members of the public and so constitutes a public order offence...so it’s not so much the act but what the act results in.

I would hope that more information about this becomes available. If it is as simple as filming in a hospital then I would be very concerned that she be arrested. Whether people wish to call her a covid denier or conspiracy theorist or whatever doesn't change the fact that we can't go around arresting people for the none crime of filming. As I said though, the article doesn't give enough information.

Outside St Thomas on NYE there were protesters shouting Covid is a hoax as colleagues were coming out desperately tired and sad having tried to save the lives of Covid patients the past 12 hours. I wish they'd been arrested!

I've seen this video on FB, I don't remember her mentioning it was an outpatients dept but did wonder and was going to comment on friends post who had shared it but don't wanna get into another debate with him. Hes always posting conspiracy theories about covid and as NHS worker he really pisses me off sharing his theories!

She was hanging around in a hospital making a nuisance of herself and I am guessing didn't leave when told to by staff.

Pushing covid to one side for a moment, she filmed an empty out patient department between Christmas and New Year.

Well, no shit Sherlock, of course it is likely to be empty.

She was walking around a hospital without a mask. When challenged she stated she was wearing a scarf and then changed her mind and stated she was exempt and started becoming aggressive towards patients. Filming people and patients.
She didnt think about the confidentiality of anyone that was caught in her video and posted it online. She didnt blur any faces. And the things she was saying was disgusting.
She was stamping around the place saying how angry she was. I'm sorry but I wouldn't want to meet someone like this, you dont know how violent they are. And there are plenty of idiots online who would take her video at face value.
I think she got her just desserts.

Op if you haven't seen the video how can you be sure being arrested was extreme? There must be a reason for her arrest. The police have better things to do than arrest someone who just videoed an empty room. 🤷🏻‍♀️

If she was obstructive and aggressive then I have no problem with it. I cannot agree with people who think arrest is acceptable just because she has an opinion you consider wrong. It borders on arrest for wrongthink.

I haven't read the article but is it to show hospitals are empty in parts to prove a conspiracy theory? If so then yes I think this should be dealt with firmly.

But arresting her? Conspiracy theories, however bonkers, are not illegal. If this woman was filming an empty outpatient department with the intention of saying “see, COVID isn’t real, look at this empty hospital” then she’s a dick. But if making misleading statements was a crime half of parliament needs arresting. Are we criminalising news/media outlets who show pictures of classrooms with loads of space and desks miles apart, because they are misleadingly implying all schools are like that?

(Obviously if she was arrested for something other than “just” filming, like she broke in or something, that’s different)

She was trying to show that Covid is fake & the hospitals are empty. When challenged about filming an empty outpatients. She went back & started to try & film through the ward doors.
She has links with Piers Corbyn & is out to 'prove' that covid is fake & it's all about taking away out liberty.
She's down right dangerous, but especially after her husband videoed her arrest this is giving her publicity

Anyone who is asked to leave by security and doesn't is eventually likely to be arrested for a public order offence. Bet it's more to do with that than what she was actually filming although I would've been livid if I'd been filmed without my consent while waiting in a hospital outpatient dept.

I don't know but perhaps it was more to do with being inflammatory by passing off/disingenuous false information to try and persuade people to think that the pandemic doesn't exist and influence peoples responses to public health information and education?

There was probably far more going on that just posting a video.

If main stream media won't do their job then it's no surprise that citizen journalists will step up.

And this video is now being used by the Daily Mail Covid deniers as fuel for their ridiculous and dangerous argument that Covid is a hoax and hospitals are empty.