Patient concerns over rock painting craze
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FEARS that patient confidentiality could be breached because of an innocent craze sweeping the county has prompted an online warning. The Love on the Rocks craze, intended to inspire creativity and spread happiness, sparked concern that the privacy of patients at Dingwall Medical Centre could inadvertently be breached.
The rock painting trend – where people paint pictures on small rocks, take a photo, upload to the internet then hide it elsewhere for someone else to find – has really taken off.
However, one local group’s founder has had to urge members to take care after the medical centre flagged its concerns. The assistant manager posted a message on the group’s Love on the Rocks (Dingwall) Facebook page saying three painted rocks were found inside or around the building – with one left sitting on the outside window-ledge of a consulting room where doctors treat patients.
The post read: "While we understand and appreciate the ethos behind Love on the Rocks, we do not feel it is appropriate to hide stones within buildings without permission from the owner/occupier. One of the rocks was left on the windowsill of a consulting room which could have led to confidentiality being broken."
Group founder Ivy Burns said it was done in all innocence. She said: "Until we had the comment from the medical centre, no-one had thought that they shouldn’t put stones in any particular place. I have since asked members not to place rocks inside buildings, without permission from the owners, after the medical centre’s request. I do know though that the Inverness group has had rocks turn up in the children’s ward at Raigmore Hospital and they always seem delighted with their finds."
She said the idea of Love on the Rocks is to spread happiness and love. Some rocks are painted with inspirational quotes, some with lovely pictures and the best ones are often done by children.
Ms Burns said: "The rock which has travelled farthest so far seems to be one we gave to a couple from New Zealand. We explained what Love on the Rocks was about and they said they would like to take their rock home to be hidden in New Zealand."
