NHS England has selected Motorola Solutions to provide body-worn video for the country’s ambulance trusts.
The company said the trusts are to use its VB400 cameras following trials with the London Ambulance Service and North East Ambulance Service.
This follows an announcement in June by NHS England that it planned to implement the use of the cameras to reduce attacks on staff. It said its data showed that 3,569 members of ambulance crew were physically assaulted by the public last year, up by 30% on five years ago.
It is now planning to roll out the cameras to the 10 ambulance trusts in England, three years ahead of the schedule in the NHS Long Term Plan.
Medics will be able to press a button to start recording if patients or the public become aggressive or abusive, with filming to be made available to the police when needed.
The cameras can carry up to 12 hours of recording – beyond the length of a regular shift – and will be supported by VideoManager evidence management software.
Dr John Martin, chief paramedic and quality officer at the London Ambulance Service, said: “Looking after our staff and volunteers and keeping them safe is a top priority. These cameras should act as a deterrent and will also help provide evidence.”
Image from Motorola Solutions
