NHS staff suspended for taking part in 'lying down game'

Seven staff at an NHS hospital have been suspended for taking part in the new craze sweeping the world, the Lying Down Game and for then posting the pictures on Facebook.

The seven staff suspended from Great Western Hospital in Swindon, UK, took part in the game in mid-August and then posted the images to social networking site, Facebook under the title 'Secret Swindon Emergency Department Group'. The images have since been removed. The staff are said to have been on night shift in the Accident and Emergency Department at the hospital. "Disciplinary hearings are yet to take place and we cannot predict the outcome," an official for the hospital said. The staff involved were apparently pictured lying in various places including the heli-pad used by Wiltshire Air Ambulance, staff also lay on ward floors and resuscitation trolleys. Dr Alf Troughton, medical director at Great Western Hospital gave this statement: "A number of staff were suspended following allegations of unprofessional conduct while on night shift duty in the hospital during a weekend in August. "This did not involve patients and we are satisfied that at no time was patient care compromised. "The Great Western Hospital sets high standards for staff behaviour at all times and therefore takes any such breaches extremely seriously. "The allegations have been thoroughly investigated and seven members of staff remain suspended pending formal disciplinary hearings." The Lying Down Game involves a person being pictured in various locations lying down with their arms by their sides and their toes pointing to the floor. Extra points are rewarded if the pictures are taken in unusual settings.

turloughmor (flickr)

Lying Down Game

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Once source from the hospital made this comment, "It's a right mess. It's been a nightmare week for them. It reflects badly on the department. “It was just some nurses and doctors on nights having fun, but photos got onto Facebook and management found out. Someone in the department leaked the group, but no-one knows who." The incident apparently involved a total of 18 staff members.