Body cameras reduce attacks on healthcare staff

Doctors and nurses could be issued with body cameras to record violent patients following a successful pilot scheme at Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust was found to reduce the number of violent incidents by 14 per cent.

During the pilot, more than 40 staff at Berrywood Hospital were issued with cameras between December and March. The pilot, which was carried out across the hospital’s five wards, reported 105 violent incidents and emergency restraints compared with 122 in the same period the previous year.

Staff wore the cameras throughout their shift but only switched them on when they deemed an incident was escalating.

Statistics show there are currently around 70,000 assaults on NHS staff every year. It has been estimated that if the initiative was rolled out nationally, the scheme could prevent 10,000 incidents a year.

Dr Alex O’Neil-Kerr, the trust’s clinical medical director, commented: “I think it was very successful, because we have shown it is feasible to implement it, but we need a much larger study to say with any certainty that it will cause a reduction in incidents. If it does, then yes, I think it should be rolled out.”

Dr Sheila Hardy, a senior research fellow with the trust, added: “I see no reason why it can’t be rolled out to other areas of health, such as district nurses and GP practices.”

Vicki Nash, head of policy and campaigns at Mind, the mental health charity, said: “This is an interesting pilot that uses a new approach to improving safety on mental health wards.

“The reduction in the use of restraint is particularly promising and we welcome the focus on improving transparency and accountability of services – when you are in hospital because of your mental health you are usually at your most unwell and most vulnerable, so safety is paramount.

“There are some obvious concerns about privacy and dignity, and we would be keen to understand more about how patients are informed, how footage is used and how long it is stored for.”