Key Summary
- Two East Sussex hospitals are trialing body-worn cameras for staff to curb abuse and attacks
- Cameras can be activated during incidents to deter aggression and provide police evidence
- The trial follows over 1,700 recorded assaults on NHS hospital staff in the South East (2018–2022)
Two hospitals under the East Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust are trialing body-worn cameras for staff, in response to a rise in the number of attacks faced by healthcare workers.
The trust said some staff at the Conquest Hospital in Hastings and Eastbourne District General Hospital would wear the devices for 12 weeks, BBC reports.
Health professionals can activate the camera whenever they face abuse or challenging behaviour, and the camera would notify the attackers that they are being recorded.
As per the trust, this would prevent the aggression from escalating and help the staff feel safe at their work place.
These camera visuals can also be evidence during police investigation.
The trust will evaluate the results of the trial to determine the further steps for staff safety.
A similar trial is currently on at hospitals in Kent.
BBC reports that between 2018 and 2022 more than 1,700 physical assaults were recorded on NHS hospital staff in the South East between 2018 and 2022.
