The Northern Health and Social Care Trust will be holding a community listening event next month as part of a public consultation over a pilot for body-worn cameras at Antrim Hospital’s emergency department.
The aim of the proposal is to help reduce violence and aggression towards health care staff.
Last year, there were 22 physical attacks, 13 verbal and four others with the PSNI called to 12 incidents in the ED department.
Physical and verbal aggression included a patient punching a window and a cardiac monitor - smashing the screen; nursing staff and a carer were punched, grabbed and spat at; biting a registrar on the finger and breaking the skin; a patient hitting a health care assistant in the chest, kicked and punched in the abdomen; a patient who threatened another patient in the next bed.
Sexual and inappropriate behaviour included a patient slapping and grabbing other patients and staff on the bottom and trying to kiss patients and staff.
A patient exposed himself in front of staff, visitors and patients whilst urinating on the floor.
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has reported 6,636 attacks across its services during the past five years with 50,000 across the sector in Northern Ireland.
The Trust’s annual health and safety report for the period between April 1, 2022 and March 31, 2023, shows 1,857 incidents of violence and aggression.
The figure included 617 incidents of violence and aggression at Antrim’s Holywell Hospital; Antrim Hospital, 170; Ross Thomson Unit at Causeway Hospital, 73; Whitehaven Respite Unit, Whitehead, 17; Causeway Hospital, Coleraine 86; Armour Complex, Ballymoney, 25; George Sloan Adult Centre, Ballymena, 11; Hollybank Hostel, Magherafelt, 22 and Antrim Adult Centre, 24.
Anne O’Reilly, chair of the Trust board, has described the statistics as “alarming and wholly unacceptable”.
Speaking at last month’s meeting of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust board, she said:
“Dealing with this sort of behaviour is not part of the job; not only does it have an impact individual staff members, it also has a ripple effect on the wider team and negatively impacts staff morale and can lead to periods of absence. And of course, it has an impact on our patients and service users who are witnessing this sort of behaviour.
“We owe it to our staff to do all we can to address violence and aggression in the workplace.
“Emergency departments are always extremely busy and staff are working in very challenging circumstances under huge pressure to provide care for all those who come through the doors; they need our support. They should not have to deal with or tolerate any form of abuse.”
The Northern Trust says:
“Despite healthcare staff working hard to provide the best possible care to patients, there has been a marked rise in acts of violence and aggression against staff over the last number of years.
“The Trust has a duty to ensure the safety of its staff and to provide a safe and secure working environment.
“The Emergency Department environment is highly pressured, busy and at times is unpredictable. Incidents of violence and aggression only make staff jobs more difficult.”
Between April 2023 and March 2024, there were 101,692 attendances at Antrim Area Hospital’s emergency department.
“Patients and their families and friends have a responsibility to behave in an acceptable manner, which does not include any behaviour considered to be violent or aggressive,” the Trust says.
“They need to understand and respect that there is an expected minimum standard of behaviour towards staff. Any behaviour that puts staff, service users, other persons or Trust property and assets at risk is not acceptable.
“This includes behaviours that are motivated by prejudiced attitudes, stereotypes or discrimination against a person on a protected equality ground for example racism or homophobia.”
Audrey Harris, director of medicine and emergency medicine, commented:
“While I whole-heartedly recognise the vast majority of patients and families who access our emergency departments and receive care are appreciative, it is not acceptable that some choose to use aggression, both verbal and physical. This can have adverse effects for our staff and others patients and cannot continue to escalate.
“This proposal is an opportunity to pilot an intervention in our emergency department. The pilot has potential to deter individuals from acting inappropriately or being aggressive with the intent of reducing the severity should such events occur.”
Sister Bronagh Gilmore, ward manager, commented:
“We as a department recognise that in keeping with societal changes the need for body-worn cameras is imminent to ensure safety of our staff and patients.
“In wearing body-worn cameras, our staff will be able to feel safe in their working environment and more equipped to de-escalate aggressive behaviour. We, as a department, envisage through the use of body-worn cameras a positive impact for both staff and patients.”
Body-worn camera devices are an audio and video recording system used to record events in which the wearer is involved.
Initially, the proposed pilot will involve 12 body-worn cameras worn by nursing staff. Participation will remain voluntary throughout the pilot. There will be a verbal warning when recording commences and the wearer will advise when it stops.
This listening event at the Dunsilly Hotel, Antrim, will take place on March 13, from 7pm until 8.30pm and online on March 12, from 7pm until 8.30 pm.
The consultation will continue until May 1.