The NSW Government is announcing today that a 12-month trial of body worn cameras for NSW hospital security staff has now commenced, to improve safety for staff, patients and visitors.

It will see all security staff in participating hospital equipped with body-worn cameras.

They will be able to activate these cameras in response to incidents involving aggression and violence in the hospital, where there is risk of harm to staff, patients or others.

The trial will determine how effective the technology is at deterring and de-escalating violent incidents and will be independently evaluated once completed.

Beginning with Royal North Shore, the trial will expand to a total of 15 hospitals across Sydney, the Central Coast, the Hunter, the Illawarra, the Mid North Coast, New England, Northern NSW and Western NSW.

Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney’s north has become the first public hospital in NSW to trial the technology.

Body worn cameras are one strategy intended to keep everyone safe in NSW public hospitals. NSW Health facilities also have a number of other key strategies in place to ensure the safest possible environment for staff, patients and visitors. These include:

• Ongoing risk assessments to identify and manage emerging security risks.
• Safety huddles to share information on patient related safety risk with incoming workers.
• Patient management plans that set out specific arrangements to keep both the patient and healthcare workers safe when providing care.
• Multi-disciplinary Code Black (duress) response teams. This includes the use of NSW Health security staff/Health and Security Assistants to assist clinical staff with the management of incidents.
• Workplaces designed to enhance line of sight for staff, including dual egress at staff stations and in treatments rooms.
• Lockdown arrangements including secure entry points between public and clinical areas and secure perimeters for facilities, particularly after hours.
• Personal mobile and fixed duress alarms for staff to ensure they can summon assistance when necessary.
• Closed circuit television (CCTV) and effective lighting to ensure visibility.
• Procedures to enhance car park security, including regular security patrols.

This trial is part of the ongoing implementation of recommendations from the Anderson Review of Hospital Security and follows implementation of other recommendations by the NSW Government to improve hospital security.

These include the establishment of the Safety and Security Improvement Unit within the Ministry of Health, the standardising of code black procedures, and enhanced support for patient experience officers.

Quotes attributable to Minister for Health Ryan Park:

“The safety of our staff and patients is my top priority as the Minister for Health.

“Any instances of aggression towards staff will not be tolerated, and appropriate action will always be taken against individuals who behave in such a manner.

“I look forward to the results of this trial which will provide insight into how we can reduce instances of violence and aggression in our public hospitals.”

Quotes attributable to Gerard Hayes, Health Services Union:

“Hospital staff are not punching bags, yet they cop vile and violent abuse all the time.

“A trial like this will give offenders pause for thought and provide a stronger base of evidence when staff are assaulted.

“If this can prevent even a small portion of assaults, we are all for it."