Instax instant cameras are helping NHS frontline staff share a smile with patients from behind their PPE
04.06.2020
Across the UK, the challenge of personal protective equipment (PPE) means NHS frontline staff are struggling to show their patients a comforting smile. But Fujifilm have found an unexpected way to help - instax instant cameras. The company is helping share the smiles of NHS doctors and nurses working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic and connect with patients through donating instant cameras to intensive care units across the country.
Left to right: [1-2] Healthcare workers at Florence Nightingale Group Hospitals, Turkey and [3] Azienda Socio-Sanitaria Territoriale (ASST) di Vimercate, Monza, Italy
NHS staff are facing unprecedent challenges in dealing with coronavirus, from intense demand on intensive care to new procedures and requirements to reduce infection. One of these challenges is the new requirements around PPE. Those working on the frontline in hospitals must put on gloves, gown, face mask, visor or air hoods before entering a hospital unit or caring for a patient - creating a full suit covering almost every feature. The coverings are not only restrictive and uncomfortable, but can muffle the voice as well as obscure the face, meaning that doctors and nurses treating patients have to obscure everything but their eyes.
This can make it difficult to reassure a patient, who cannot see a smile or a friendly face. PPE removes an important element of the personal connection that is usually so important between a clinician and patient. It can also heighten an already worrying and intimidating situation and make patients in ICU wards feel even more isolated.
For the clinicians themselves, not being able to see their colleagues, or show their own personalities, can also be difficult. There are many new faces on wards from nurses and doctors who would not usually work in ICU being redeployed. Faces are an important way to communicate but PPE removes this ability from frontline workers, with the potential to have a real impact on morale.
Fujifilm have been looking for ways to help those NHS teams searching for a solution to sharing their faces behind the PPE and came up with an unexpected solution - instant cameras. The company have been donating their instax instant cameras to intensive care units across the country, letting doctors or nurses take a photograph and quickly attach an instant photo print of themselves to their hospital gowns.
The initiative has seen frontline workers across the country use this quick and easy solution to show their patients a comforting smile, as well as their personality.
The initiative has so far seen cameras donated to 35 NHS Trusts across the country and has also gone international, with special packs of instax instant cameras donated to more than 50 hospitals across Europe in eight different countries.
Rachel Power, CEO of the Patients Association, said:
PPE is vitally important for both keeping patients and doctors safe and reassuring patients about their safety at a worrying time. But there's no doubt that masks can be a barrier between doctors and patients, or even transform a comforting presence into a disconcerting one. Having photos of the doctor without their mask is a simple but imaginative idea that should provide a lot of reassurance to patients who will be able to see the face behind the mask.
Neill Harris, General Manager, Fujifilm UK Photo Imaging said:
Donating instax cameras and film is just a small way in which Fujifilm is able to help - but to both NHS staff and patients, we've been told that by being able to easily show the friendly face behind the PPE, it can help bring comfort and understanding in the most difficult of situations.
Fujifilm want to expand this offer of help even more Trusts. The company are encouraging health teams on the frontline interested in receiving a special instax kit to contact comms_uk(at)fujifilm(dot)com
Files:
2020_share_instax-covid19_03.jpg (431 Kbyte)
Azienda_Socio-Sanitaria_Territoriale_ASST_di_Vimercate__Monza__Italy_1_03.jpg (1.26 Mbyte)
Istanbul_Florence_Nightingale_Hastanesi__Istanbul__Turkey_1_03.jpg (816 Kbyte)
Istanbul_Florence_Nightingale_Hastanesi__Istanbul__Turkey_2_03.jpg (1.12 Mbyte)
Istanbul_Florence_Nightingale_Hastanesi__Istanbul__Turkey_3_03.jpg (1.40 Mbyte)
Istanbul_Florence_Nightingale_Hastanesi__Istanbul__Turkey_4_03.jpg (1.13 Mbyte)
NHS_Western_General_Hospital__Edinburgh__UK_1_03.jpg (7.73 Mbyte)
Most recent headlines
27/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
26/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
25/12/2025
Holiday lights are twinkling, hot cocoa's on the stove and gamers are settling in for a well-earned break.
Whether staying in or heading on a winter getawa...
24/12/2025
What is AI good for? Posted by MTI Film on December 24, 2025
What is AI good for?
What is AI good for?
It's been three years since ChatGPT first cap...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
The Boyfriend' Season 2 Unveils Heartwarming Trailer, Key...
24/12/2025
Back to All News
Love, Fights, and Everything in Between: Badly in Love' Returns for Season 2
Entertainment
24 December 2025
GlobalJapan
Link copied t...
24/12/2025
Scripps Research study links sleep variability with sleep apnea and hypertension How consumers' digital activity trackers could enable personalized health s...
23/12/2025
How guilas Cibae as Dominican Winter League Games Are Locally Produced for Glob...
23/12/2025
BitFire's Jim Akimchuk on Supplying Scalability and Customization in the Clo...
23/12/2025
CAMB.AI Enables European Athletics to Offer Multi-Language SupportPlan is to eventually offer translation into all languages spoken in EuropeBy Ken Kerschbaumer...
23/12/2025
Analysis: As sports media values trend negative, scarcity and quality are king By Callum McCarthy, Editor-at-Large
Monday, December 22, 2025 - 14:08
Print ...
23/12/2025
ESPN, Disney, and NBA Return to the Animated Altcast Fray With Second Edition of...
23/12/2025
End the Year on a High Note and Donate to the Sports Broadcasting Fund Today! By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Tuesday, December 23, 2025 - 12:25 pm
...
23/12/2025
The year is winding down, the weather outside is frightful, and it's the perfect time to escape into a story that warms the heart. For listeners looking for...
23/12/2025
A Zeus motor is hot fire tested at L3Harris' Camden, Arkansas, solid rocket ...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Lightware will exhibit several major product innovations at ISE 2026, including the new USB-C BOOSTER-V1, Google Meet. integration for various Taurus UCX models...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Share Share by:
Copy link
Facebook
X
Whatsapp
Pinterest
Flipboard...
23/12/2025
Taking the Stage at Carnegie Hall-On a Global Scale Boston Conservatory Orchestra students reflect on their epic concert marking the 80th session of the UN Gene...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Netflix's The Great Flood and Culinary Class Wars 2 Top Gl...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
Stranger Things By the Numbers: How the Global Phenomenon Shap...
23/12/2025
Experience the power of WO Automation for Radio's newest service, the System Effectiveness Review. Designed to help you achieve more, a System Effectiveness...
23/12/2025
23 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan and Rakuten Symphony Collaborate to A...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
How Steamy Can It Get? Single's Inferno' Season 5 Pre...
23/12/2025
Back to All News
33 Million Global Viewers on Netflix Watched Jake Paul vs. Ant...
23/12/2025
New technique lights up where drugs go in the body, cell by cell Scripps Research scientists developed a technique that maps drug binding in individual cells th...
22/12/2025
SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Presidio's Neerav Shah on the Role of Its Captiva...
22/12/2025
Hitting the bullseye: Sky Sports readies itself for the biggest PDC World Darts ...
22/12/2025
Unique skillset: Bringing new directors to the world of darts at The Worlds with...
22/12/2025
Gravity Media prepares for a flight of fancy with the PDC World Darts Championsh...
22/12/2025
One hundred and eighty: Gravity Media on hitting the production bullseye at the ...
22/12/2025
The Famous Group's Jon Slusser on Fascinating Fans Through Immersive Content...
22/12/2025
ESPN's Meg Aronowitz on Continuing High-Quality Broadcasts of Collegiate Spo...
22/12/2025
ESPN Takes Data-Driven Storytelling to New Heights with MNF Playbook with Next ...
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Paramount Scores Largest Share Increase Among Distributors as Paramount and CBS...
22/12/2025
New multi-year deal integrates Roku's data to fuel Nielsen's measurement suite
Roku gains access to Nielsen's streaming ratings, showing The Roku C...
Instax instant cameras are helping NHS frontline staff share a smile with patients from behind their PPE 
