A patient whose mental breakdown was secretly filmed by an NHS worker and shared on WhatsApp says she has been left feeling “dirty, angry and confused”.

Julie Trafford’s moments of crisis were recorded after being admitted to the Becklin Center in Leeds.

The NHS trust, which described the recording as an “isolated incident”, confirmed that the staff member still worked for them despite the breach.

The trust, which has apologised, said it was now considering recommendations made by England’s healthcare regulator after five complaints about Mrs Trafford’s care were upheld.

Mrs Trafford, 52, has struggled with mental health issues since she was 20 and has had to deal with mental health problems several times before.

Decommissioning occurs when a person with a mental disorder is detained in hospital for treatment and assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983.

After the deaths of her parents three years ago, Mrs. Trafford said things had become more difficult for her.

He was admitted to the Becklin Center on 2 October 2023 and his health deteriorated shortly afterwards.

Before being discharged on 18 October, Mrs Trafford was handed a letter by a member of the management. It said seven of her videos were taken and shared on WhatsApp groups without her consent.

The group of about 20 people included some NHS colleagues – but others were members of the public.

The letter states that the videos have been immediately removed.

In the footage, seen by the BBC, Mrs Trafford appeared distressed as she tried to escape the unit.

He can be seen repeatedly kicking and punching the front door of the hospital reception.

A later video showed Mrs Trafford being restrained by several members of staff.

She told the BBC that she did not remember much about the incident, saying, “I felt trapped and wanted to get away from the ward.”

A year later, Mrs. Trafford said she was “still very upset” about the incident.

“Why would anyone do that?” He said.

“Especially NHS staff. It’s complete disarray.”

The news that the employee who recorded and shared the footage has not lost his job has left Mrs Trafford and husband Andrew in a state of disbelief.

Mrs Trafford said, “I personally thought it was certain he would not keep his job.”

“I was hoping they wouldn’t want someone like that in their company.”

Mr Trafford said: “These people need to be held accountable for sweeping this under the carpet, because that’s how we feel.”

The Care Quality Commission (CQC), the independent regulator of health and social care in England, has upheld five complaints made by the couple against the trust about the video and its treatment of Mrs Trafford.

It made a number of recommendations, including that the trust should clarify whether the staff member involved would remain in a patient-facing role at the centre.

The Leeds and York Partnership NHS Foundation Trust is obliged to respond to the CQC’s recommendations within a month.

Dr Sarah Munro, chief executive of the trust, said she was sorry for the “hurt caused by the unacceptable actions of a member of staff” in this “disturbing case”.

She said she wanted to reassure people that “they are safe in the care of the trust”.

Marjorie Wallace, CEO of mental health charity SEN, said Mrs Trafford’s experience was “extremely sad and shocking”.

She said the charity was receiving an increasing number of reports from people who were “afraid to hand over the care of a loved one to inpatient psychiatric services”.

Mrs Trafford, whose mental health is now more stable, said she had lost confidence in the Becklin Centre.

“If that’s possible, I wouldn’t want anyone to go there,” she said.

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Since the BBC highlighted the issue to the government, Mrs Trafford’s MP Richard Burgon has written to the Trust for more information about their investigation.

The Information Commissioner’s Office, the public body charged with data protection, said it was also assessing the incident.

A Department of Health spokesperson said it was an “extremely worrying” case, adding: “We expect NHS organizations to take allegations of staff misconduct very seriously and investigate the incidents properly.

“Every person with mental health issues should be cared for with dignity and respect.”