Hospital security staff will trial body-worn cameras to try and combat a spike in assaults but a key union is calling for further powers for guards to stop on-site police being needed to stem the violence. or signup to continue reading Security staff at nine NSW hospitals will trial body-worn devices to see if they can prompt people to calm down once they realise they are being recorded. No start date has been set for the year-long trial and security and privacy policies will need to be established before it can proceed.
An evaluation will follow to ascertain if the cameras are effective. Footage will only be recorded if security officers believe there is a risk of harm and the material could be used in prosecutions. Health Minister Ryan Park says it's hoped the trial will strike a delicate balance by avoiding compromising the clinical setting or turning hospital security guards into police.
"We are not dealing with people who are well, often we're dealing with some of the sickest people within their respective communities, so we have to be really nuanced in what we do here," he told reporters on Tuesday. Up to 300 cameras will be rolled out during the trial, with about $1 million allocated for the experiment. It will test whether body-worn cameras can complement other security arrangements including patient-management plans, duress teams, alarms and lockdown protocols.
Health Services Union NSW secretary Gerard Hayes said the cameras could de-escalate some aggressive behavio.