In an age where safety concerns are paramount, it's no surprise that innovative measures are being taken to protect both staff and patients in public spaces.

One such space where safety has become a pressing issue is in hospitals.

In one Aussie state, a concerning rise in aggressive assaults on public hospital staff has prompted a significant security upgrade.

New South Wales recently introduced body-worn cameras for hospital security staff. The decision to implement this technology comes after a spate of violent incidents that have put hospital workers at risk.

In an effort to bolster safety and deter potential aggressors, a 12-month trial will see body-worn cameras rolled out in at least nine hospitals across the state.

This initiative is not just about immediate deterrence; it's also about gathering evidence. Up to 300 body-worn cameras will be operational, potentially providing crucial vision that could be used in court proceedings.

NSW hospitals will trial body-worn cameras for security staff to enhance safety and counter increasing assaults on hospital workers. Credit: Shutterstock

The trial is a direct response to the recommendations from the Anderson review of hospital security, which was commissioned to address the growing concerns around the safety of healthcare environments.

‘This is a good first step recognising the risks security face each day in our health system,’ Health Services Union Secretary Gerard Hayes stated.

‘However, there is more to be done from the Anderson Report, and I look forward to working with the Health Minister and NSW government on this issue.’

The NSW government has been proactive, estimating that 97 per cent of the review's recommendations have been implemented.

Health Minister Ryan Park has expressed a firm stance on the issue, stating, ‘The body-worn camera trial is one of several actions NSW Health has taken to address the recommendations of the Anderson report and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to continuing to improve security practices to keep staff and patients safe.’

‘The trend in assaults in our hospitals is unacceptable, and we are taking action.’

The trial will include several hospitals across different health districts.

Participating hospitals are Wyong Hospital in the Central Coast Local Health District, Westmead Hospital in the Western Sydney Local Health District, Royal North Shore Hospital in the Northern Sydney Local Health District, and Nepean Hospital in the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District.

Liverpool Hospital in the South West Sydney Local Health District and Wollongong and Shoalhaven Hospitals in the Illawarra Shoalhaven Local Health District are also involved.

Additionally, John Hunter Hospital and Tamworth Hospital, both part of the Hunter New England Local Health District, will participate in the trial.

These sites will be closely monitored, and the trial will be independently evaluated upon completion to determine the cameras' effectiveness in reducing violent incidents.

As the New South Wales government rolls out a new trial of body cameras for hospital staff to improve security and protect both workers and patients, the urgency of such measures becomes evident in light of recent incidents.

This trial comes at a crucial time, especially considering the distressing case of an elderly woman who was recently left in critical condition following a brutal attack in a hospital.

Key Takeaways

• NSW hospitals will trial body-worn cameras for security staff to improve safety and address a rise in assaults on hospital staff.
• The 12-month trial will be conducted in at least nine hospitals to test the effectiveness of the cameras in deterring violence and collecting evidence.
• The trial is a response to the Anderson review of hospital security, with an estimated 97 per cent of its recommendations already implemented.
• Health Minister Ryan Park stated that the rise in assaults at hospitals is unacceptable, and the trial demonstrates a commitment to improving security for staff and patients.

Do you feel reassured by the presence of body-worn cameras in hospitals, or do you have concerns about privacy? We encourage you to share your thoughts on this new security measure.

 

[DLHM]

I feel there is definitely a privacy concern if hospital staff wear body cameras. There would need to be guidelines for the use of them, and that’s where the privacy issues would be blurred, either deliberately or unintentionally.

 

[Veggiepatch]

I feel there is definitely a privacy concern if hospital staff wear body cameras. There would need to be guidelines for the use of them, and that’s where the privacy issues would be blurred, either deliberately or unintentionally.

Same goes for supermarket staff, including so called toothless security goons.

 

[Clancieblue]

I was constantly amazed how may police officers were sitting at the end of beds in emergency wards monitoring patients. Prison guards with others who needed treatment while I was there with my husband.
Wouldn't it be safer and easier for all to have a sectioned off more secure area for challenging patients.

 

[Rosi Gordon]

I feel there is definitely a privacy concern if hospital staff wear body cameras. There would need to be guidelines for the use of them, and that’s where the privacy issues would be blurred, either deliberately or unintentionally.

They may only need to turn them on when they feel threatened. They are used in the UK and has been a success when then staff member tell them they will be filmed and the footage handed to the police.

 

[Rosi Gordon]

Many years ago the hospital security were called Special Constables with training to deal with threats in hospitals. They weren't armed with guns but had powers to prevent problems from escalating but one of the higher powers made it her mission to remove the Special Constables in place of security that can do nothing to protect patients, staff and visitors under her outdated guidelines. We need to bring back more safety practices into our hospitals again.

 

[DLHM]

They may only need to turn them on when they feel threatened. They are used in the UK and has been a success when then staff member tell them they will be filmed and the footage handed to the police.

That’s all well and good if the body cameras are used only when feeling threatened. But medical staff are people and as such, there’s a chance that there could be someone who may break the “rules of use”. Perhaps I’m too untrusting and cynical.

 

[Clancieblue]

That’s all well and good if the body cameras are used only when feeling threatened. But medical staff are people and as such, there’s a chance that there could be someone who may break the “rules of use”. Perhaps I’m too untrusting and cynical.

You are right. mobile phones were banned from being carried on Nursing Home floor, due to some staff taking photos of residents. It didn't stop them, it still happens. The trouble is hospital staff will have phone camera's as well.

 

[Towing]

I am not too concerned about the cameras. They are used for the safety of patients and staff. Some people who commit the crime are mental health patients. If the Police take a mental health patient to the Emergency Dept at a hospital they are given immediate priority. There is not enough Security Officers in hospitals - especially in that Department. At a Public Hospital the Emergency Dept. has an ear piercing siren they use. Security Guards run from other sections of the Hospital. If they need more guards they push the siren again. It lasts about a minute. One of the staff told me it is used on the average of at least once a day. There has been cases where those patients have been watched in Emergency for several hours because there was no beds in the Mental Health Ward.

 

[Knell]

It's body cam for Security Staff - not medical staff. The Security Officers at hospitals already have broader powers to detain...and by force! There are many levels of security staff - some are licensed to carry guns. Don't see what the privacy issue is?? - there are cameras inside and outside hospitals.

 

[Mr Chips]

Privacy should never be an issue in hospitals however security is. Hospital staff have a right to be safe at work especially because they are frontline workers trying to look after us. If it can be proven that a patient or visitor has aggressively broken the law they should not only be given the court sentence but they should be given to the hospital surgical teams to reap their revenge. That would be a deterrent to most of the lunatics.

 

[Knell]

Privacy should never be an issue in hospitals however security is. Hospital staff have a right to be safe at work especially because they are frontline workers trying to look after us. If it can be proven that a patient or visitor has aggressively broken the law they should not only be given the court sentence but they should be given to the hospital surgical teams to reap their revenge. That would be a deterrent to most of the lunatics.

Well, yes! Security will take them down and medical staff will sedate them! LOL.

 

[Towing]

It's body cam for Security Staff - not medical staff. The Security Officers at hospitals already have broader powers to detain...and by force! There are many levels of security staff - some are licensed to carry guns. Don't see what the privacy issue is?? - there are cameras inside and outside hospitals.

Some will only use force if they have no other option. A patient was told they did not want to touch her at all unless they had no option. They security officer talked to the patient for at least 10 min. before she agreed to return to her allocated bed.

 

[Knell]

Some will only use force if they have no other option. A patient was told they did not want to touch her at all unless they had no option. They security officer talked to the patient for at least 10 min. before she agreed to return to her allocated bed.

Yes, totally and always try their best to talk them down - and they are good at it.