A hospital trust today became the first in London to issue body cameras after a dramatic rise in assaults on front-line staff.
Security guards at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals will wear the devices in a bid to reduce violent and abusive behaviour from patients, with nurses most often in the line of fire. The initiative follows this week’s roll-out of cameras to 22,000 Met police officers. One senior Scotland Yard officer said he would welcome other London hospitals adopting similar measures.
A total of 850 incidents were recorded between April and September by Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS trust — up 27 per cent on the 620 in the same period last year.
Incidents happened in both hospitals — the A&E at St Thomas’ was a “hotspot” — and in the trust’s community clinics. Dame Eileen Sills, the trust’s chief nurse, told the Standard: “We have seen an increase in both the numbers but also the level of violence.
“Some of our staff have been harmed. Some have been left with black eyes after they have come to work. Some have been pinned to the floor.
“Some have been hit — a level of violence we have not seen in the organisation until recently. It’s getting worse, which is why we are launching the campaign.”
Dame Eileen said the aim was to reduce “violence and aggression towards staff”. A second stage of the campaign, launching in a fortnight, will see staff offered courses in “conflict resolution”. Health visitors working alone in the community will receive specialist advice from the Suzy Lamplugh Trust.
Trust bosses say the number of incidents is concerning but small compared with the two million-plus patients treated each year.
Over the past six months, there were 75 arrests — up from 30 in the same period last year — and 26 patients were excluded from the trust, meaning they will only be provided with emergency treatment. This is an increase from seven patients last year.
In addition, 130 “behaviour contracts” were issued, warning of a risk of exclusion. This is up from 70.
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Dame Eileen said of the camera initiative: “We think it will help de-escalate some situations. They give confidence to our security officers. Also, when someone is wearing one, the individual will not necessarily exhibit the extreme behaviours they have done in the past.”
Superintendent Roy Smith, head of the Met’s prevention and partnership for territorial policing division, said: “I think it is an excellent initiative, particularly in somewhere like a hospital. It captures evidence really early on, so the likelihood of us securing a guilty plea at an early stage in proceedings is increased.
“I think it protects staff and patients, because if there is any sort of violence people can see instantly that they are being recorded on body-worn video. Our experience and evidence suggests that immediately de-escalates a number of situations.
“We will take assault of NHS staff very seriously. I also think it could serve as a very useful tool in hospitals across the capital.”
Security officer Charlee Dunn, 23, said the aim was not to behave like police officers in the hospital. “We are trying for a more friendly approach,” she said. “We look after patients here.”
