Viral TikTok of healthcare workers joking about patients ends in mass firings

A group of California healthcare workers were fired after posting a TikTok mocking patients in disturbing fashion.

A scandal has erupted in California after a group of healthcare workers were fired for posting a TikTok video that mocked patients. The staff, who worked at Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara, filmed themselves posing beside stains left on exam tables, captioning the video with the phrase “Guess the substance.” The footage, which was quickly deleted, showed workers laughing and smiling while treating what appeared to be bodily fluids as if they were part of a game.

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A group of California urgent care workers have been fired after they callously mocked patients in a now-viral TikTok video. The shocking post featured a photo series of employees at the Sansum Clinic in Santa Barbara posing with patients' bodily fluids that were left on exam tables. Read more at DailyMail. #news #viral #california #fired

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The video spread rapidly across social media, sparking a wave of outrage. In one image, an employee posed with a thumbs-up next to a stain, while others referred to the so-called gifts in different “shapes and sizes.” The clip ended with a group of staff huddled around an exam table, mocking the idea that patients were leaving behind “sweet gifts.”

Sutter Health, the network that oversees Sansum Clinic, condemned the behaviour in a strongly worded statement and confirmed that those involved had been terminated. The organisation said the actions were an unacceptable breach of policy and a violation of respect for patients. Officials noted that the person who originally shared the clip had not been employed at the facility for two months but that those who appeared in the video had been removed from their roles.

Despite the video’s removal, screen recordings and screenshots continued to circulate online, fuelling calls for further accountability. On Reddit and TikTok, many users described the behaviour as “dehumanising” and “unethical,” with some demanding that professional licences be revoked. Others voiced a wider concern that such actions erode trust in the medical system, saying the scandal made it harder for patients to feel safe in healthcare environments.

The fallout is ongoing, with Sutter Health encouraging patients who feel their dignity was compromised to come forward with complaints. The controversy underscores how quickly viral content can escalate into a career-ending crisis and how damaging unprofessional conduct can be in healthcare settings where privacy and respect are paramount.