Doctors and Nurses Could Be Issued With Body Cameras to Record Violent Patients

A still from Confessions of a Junior Doctor

Doctors and nurses could be issued with body cameras to record violent patients following a successful pilot scheme in England.

More than 40 staff at Berrywood Hospital within Northamptonshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust were issued with cameras between December and March and the number of violent incidents and use of emergency restraints dropped by 14 per cent.

Using body cameras would give protections both to staff and to patients.Sir Simon Burns, former Conservative health minister
There are around 70,000 assaults on NHS staff every year, so if rolled out nationally, the scheme could prevent 10,000 incidents a year.

“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,” said Dr Alex O’Neil-Kerr, the trust’s clinical medical director.

“If it does, then yes, I think it should be rolled out.”



There are 70,000 incidents of violence in Britain's hospitals each year, mainly in A&E wards

Dr O'Neil-Kerr also believes the camera footage could be used in debriefs with patients and that the cost of the cameras could pay for themselves by cutting the number of complaints.

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.”

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.



Violent incidents fell by 14 per cent after the trial in Northamptonshire
Healthcare assistants said it made a “massive difference” and deescalated aggression, and claimed the technology prompted a woman to stop kicking a door, and a man to stop hitting a member of staff.


Footage was saved for 31 days on a secure network and kept for longer if it needed further reviewing.

Departing Chelmsford MP and Conservative Sir Simon Burns, a former health minister, suggested the cameras be switched on 24/7 to capture any misconduct by staff.



The pilot has so far only been carried out in one trust

Sir Simon said: “But also, at a time when there are a significant number of accusations against people providing care or in authority, using body cameras would give protections both to staff and to patients.”

However charities, patients and privacy groups warned that it could be humiliating for patients, who may be embarrassed by their conditions and do not want to be filmed.

Daniel Nesbitt, research director at campaign group Big Brother Watch, gave a cautionary message, and said: "Nobody should have to face violence in the workplace but if the cameras don't have the desired impact they should be removed and alternative solutions put in place."

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.”



The cameras are worn on a harness or attached to a uniform

The surveillance company behind the project, Reveal, is also taking part in a trial of body-worn cameras by teachers in two UK schools because teachers are “fed up with low level background disorder”.


However some teachers have labelled the pilot as “depressing” and “horrifying” and criticised it for treating pupils like suspects.

Dr O’Neil-Kerr added: “Patients are not criminals and we don’t actually want to have to use this technology.”

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