Royal Derby Hospital A&E staff to wear bodycams after rise in abuse

Nurse Megan Williams said abuse towards staff had worsened during the pandemic

Front-line staff at an A&E department will wear body-worn cameras after a "sharp rise" in physical and verbal abuse from patients.

The Royal Derby Hospital has introduced bodycams after an increase in acts of violence and aggression towards staff.

It comes after it was announced East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) would be one of 10 England ambulance trusts to receive bodycams.

One of the hospital's nurses said abuse of staff had worsened during Covid.

• Latest news and stories from the East Midlands

The University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS trust, which runs the hospital, said there had been a "sharp rise" in acts of violence and aggression against staff, with reported incidents at the A&E department up by 29% over a 12-month period.

A&E sister Megan Williams, who has worked at the trust for 15 years, said she had been threatened with sexual violence.

The 36-year-old added: "There's not a shift that goes by now where a colleague hasn't experienced either physical, verbal or racial abuse.

"It's certainly worsened in the last year as well with Covid. I know of colleagues and myself have been threatened by patients to spit at us, they have actually spat at us, threatening us with Covid."

The equipment will be made available to all 10 of England's ambulance trusts, it was announced earlier this month

The trust said security staff at the hospital already wore bodycams, but two more will be given to the A&E escalation manager and the nurse in charge.

They will only be switched on when a patient starts to become aggressive or abusive and other "procedures to calm a person down" have been used.

Dr James Woodard said giving bodycams to staff meant they could "start the recording at the right time"

Royal Derby Hospital consultant Dr James Woodard said: "[Security guards] are not always on site in the department at the right times.

"By giving it to key staff who are on the shop floor facing the violence themselves, they're in the right position to start the recording at the right time."