Campaign to end Bounty sales reps' access to maternity wards - please read and share

[JustineMumsnet]

Evening all,

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to fill in our survey on Bounty and share your stories - from the initial idea onwards, this really is a campaign that has been prompted by your concerns, as posted on Mumsnet.

The survey showed that a very large majority (82%) felt it was unacceptable for Bounty sales reps to be on hospital wards, as well as highlighting a number of other concerns about Bounty reps' selling practices, so we're calling on government to end this kind of direct selling/data collecting on NHS wards. See more here.

It's clear, from the survey results, that, even after Bounty updated its code of conduct (these results only include users who gave birth from May 2012 - the full results containing prior data are here) its practices leave a lot to be desired, and that Mumsnet users feel very strongly that the maternity ward is no place for a hard sell, so we're really hoping that government will listen to us.

Here's how you can help...

Please sign the petition

If you're on Twitter please tweet your support for the campaign with the hashtag #bountymutiny and the following link:

tiny.mn/1bsnpNw

If you're on Facebook then please like campaign page our campaign page (there's a FB link to click at the top on the left).

If you're on Google+, well, you'll know what to do.

We'll, of course, keep you posted here about the campaign and any developments. Thanks to everyone for their stories, honesty and input. Here's hoping we can make a difference!

Having given birth via emergency section in WORTHING hospital I can safely say they are talking utter SHIT. I was harassed while off my tits on morphine over three day by a bounty rep who just wouldn't fuck off. She even riffled through my stuff to find a 'nice' blanket for a backdrop to photograph my baby on. I was inundated with junk mail and phone calls from people who they had passed my details onto including Disney Books who rang and said 'bounty gave us your details and we would love to send you some free books would that be ok?' I said yes received the books and a letter saying either send these back at your own expense or join our expensive book club, I ignored this kept the books (I'm not paying for something I didn't agree to) and subsequently received letters for debt collectors (the private parking ticket type) all of which I ignored until they went away. So not only are bounty shit so are the companies that pay them for our details. Also as a side note Worthing hospital is piss poor and should be closed. Had my second recently at Chichester (this outs me based on my above story) bloody brilliant. Same trust but everything about it is better.

Sulfok did your friend (me) 3 days before birth find another woman's blood and urine results in her notes? If so Hello!

Serial, Guess who seems to own Bounty? Bounty were bought a few years ago by a canadian company called Kaboose Inc, who were in turn bought out by a certain mouse loving company. As far as I can tell, Bounty were never sold on.

I am yet to receive a reply from anyone at Western Sussex NHS Trust. However it appears the chief executive and the deputy chief executive have both been on leave in the last week...

Not me then Suffolk, sex of kiddies is the other way round and my lovely mum isn't a cake maker! Also as a side note, it may have already been mentioned, I didn't fill out the bounty form the bounty lady did so I didn't have the option to tick any kind of opt out box, well dodge that is!

Hello all

serialdrinker sorry to hear about your experience.

Can we ask those of you who haven't yet done so, to please let your trusts know about your experiences - even if they were some time ago?

We're getting lots of responses from Trusts saying 'well nobody's ever complained'. (To which one of the answers would be 'have you ever been post-natal? It's a rather busy time...')

What we do know is that when Trusts have received correspondence from women (or men) whose hospital experience was affected by commercial reps, it makes them much more likely to change their position.

See here for today's example!

Thanks

We've also had a request for experiences relating to Birmingham Women's Hospital, so if anyone has one could you post on the thread or let me know via [email protected]?

Thanks

But Margaret Watt of the Scotland Patients Association argued that the service should be kept as it is.

She said: “It’s all about choice, and if people don’t want this service it’s up to them – there are quite a lot of mums and dads who would find this supportive and informative.

“There should be a system in place where you can intimate beforehand that you don’t want to be approached.

“We’ve got to go forward in the NHS – it’s 65 years old and you can’t just start going backwards.”

How is dsm on wards going forward? If it is, we should put it on all wards. maybe when an MPs elderly mother has gone through it or a male MP has gone through it after a serious operation, it'll stop. Although I think she's doing the usual distraction trick of talking about the bags.

I think it's disgusting that a patients association (I'm assuming this is like PALS, anyone know?) is condoning this!

Here is a scan of the Bounty form. Can someone just double check I'm not going mad and that there isn't an option on there to tell them not to sell your details? Sorry the quality is a bit pants

Sorry, I don't understand what service Margaret Watt is claiming "mums and dads... would find.. supportive and informative."

Having photos taken?

Giving personal details to be sold to marketing companies?

Are those "supportive and informative"?

If she's talking about the Bounty online forum then that's not affected by not allowing reps on the ward.

Ditto the freebie packs. If Bounty are already using Boots and outpatient clinics to distribute different packs, they'll clearly cope without reps on the ward.

Rubber, can't read your scanned form. But the Information Commissioner will have them on toast if there's no opt-out on the form.

It may possible be just this side of legal if there's a website to opt-out; then again, it may not. It's certainly a very long way over the line from good practice.

I've phoned the ICO and they have told me I need to write to Bounty and let them know they have omitted the opt out. They advised me to write rather than email so that they don't sell my email address on as I would be giving it to them by contacting them.

It's really odd the ICO said that, because your email address sent to Bounty while making a complaint WOULD ITSELF be subject to Data Protection, and at the very least you must be legally able to opt-out of them selling that email on.

But in fact it would be hard for Bounty to argue it was acting legally if it sold your email address on, even if you hadn't explicitly opted out. Your email address would clearly have been provided for the purpose of correspondence with Bounty. IIUC, the DPA states that Bounty is not permitted to repurpose that data without your permission.

And come to think of it, why are the ICO telling you to do the legwork? It's their job to enforce this shit, not yours.

Formal complaint to ICO, in writing, about Bounty form?

It also says on the ICO website that if you have a complaint that you should speak to the company involved first and only contact ICO if they don't sort it to your satisfaction :(

From the scan it seems clear you are signing up to be sent marketing crap by "selected" third parties. The only way to opt out is to "change your preferences" by contacting Bounty direct. Using details you no longer have because they're printed on the form you've already sent off. In small print you need a computer zoom to read clearly.

If you get to fill out a form.... some people are reporting that they are being verbally asked for info which is noted down/typed onto computer.

I've written to the Patient Liaison Service at South Manchester University Hospitals today to ask what procedures are in place to respect the wishes of patients who do not wish to be approached. I shall let you know if/what comes back. I haven't even had an automated response saying they will get back to me in blah blah timeframe so we shall see.

I have seen the letter from Maidstone and Tumbridge Wells responding to Justine Roberts. Did MN write to all the Health Trusts?

Great to see the petition at almost 20k!

So the ICO are advising that legally, Bounty are on thin ice. And the NHS are not checking this stuff as part of their tender process?

What I don't understand is, what could Bounty possibly want with our information if not to sell on?

@HairyWorm

I have seen the letter from Maidstone and Tumbridge Wells responding to Justine Roberts. Did MN write to all the Health Trusts?

Yes we did!

Thanks Rowan I look forward to seeing how South Manchester University Hospitals respond.