AMBULANCE crews in England are to be provided with body cameras as part of an NHS campaign to reduce attacks on staff.
NHS data shows that 3,569 ambulance staff were physically assaulted by the public last year – 30 per cent more than five years ago.
Medics wearing the cameras will be able to press a button to start recording if patients or members of the public become aggressive or abusive. Footage can then be made available to police where needed.
This announcement follows the launch of the first-ever national Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard at the beginning of the year, with every NHS trust in the country expected to publish a plan to tackle violence towards staff.
Prerana Isaar, Chief People Officer for the NHS, said: "Every member of our dedicated and hardworking NHS staff has the fundamental right to be safe at work and it is our priority to eliminate violence and abuse, which we will not tolerate.
"As well as reducing the number of incidents towards our staff, these cameras are a vital step towards ensuring our people feel safe too."
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