Body cameras to protect paramedics from abuse

As part of a new well-being pledge ahead of the NHS’s 70th birthday, paramedics will be given body cameras in a bid to reduce cases of physical and verbal abuse against NHS employees.

With over 15 per cent of NHS staff having experienced physical violence from patients, or their families, during the past year, a successful pilot has seen 465 ambulances and their paramedics will be equipped with body cameras, with potential for a full rollout to all paramedics, and other priority areas.

The well-being pledge will also see the introduction of fast-access systems to speed up the accessibility of free mental health support and physiotherapy for their staff. The measures are part of the 10-year plan that the NHS will agree over the next six months as part of the planned £20.5 billion increase to NHS funding by 2023.

Health and Social Care secretary Jeremy Hunt said: “Nobody should feel unsafe at work - abuse against healthcare workers goes against everything the NHS stands for. Whilst the buck must stop with abusers, we want to do everything we can to prevent physical and verbal abuse. Issuing paramedics with body cameras will help protect them and increase prosecutions.

“The NHS is consistently rated as the thing that makes us most proud to be British, but it’s not the institution or buildings that the public are so passionate about, it’s the people on the frontline that care for them in their hour of need. Demand for NHS services has been soaring in recent years as our population has aged and increased, staff have been under huge pressure and have never worked harder. In these challenging circumstances, they need to know that the NHS is striving to be the best employer it can be – particularly when supporting the mental health of staff.”