Clinicians and social media

A client writes to me over the weekend to say that he, his team and his patients are becoming increasingly irritated by the use of iPads by his associates DURING PATIENT APPOINTMENTS! He tells me that, whilst patients are numbing up or impressions are being taken, the associates are checking their social media. Is it me? As a patient I would be hopping mad. As a practice owner I would feel incensed. Tell me if I’m wrong or out of date? I remember way back in the 90’s that dentists taking mobile phone calls during patient appointments was considered a ‘red card’ offence. Does anybody out there have a protocol for this?