Royal Oldham Hospital staff to wear body cameras for safety

Hospital staff at Royal Oldham will now wear body cameras to protect themselves from violence and abuse, following a trial at Fairfield Hospital in Bury. The move comes after Romon Haque was jailed for 28 years in February for stabbing and attempting to murder a nurse at Royal Oldham Hospital while being treated in the acute medical unit.

The Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust says the small cameras will only start recording when staff feel threatened, after warning the individual involved. They capture both video and audio to provide a 'clear, unbiased account' of incidents.

The cameras are being rolled out across all four Northern Care Alliance hospitals in Bury, Rochdale, Salford and Oldham. Trust leaders say they want to create a safer environment for the frontline staff who care for communities every day.

Suzanne Robinson, the trust's deputy chief executive, said abuse of staff is unacceptable and the cameras represent a clear step to protect those on the frontline. Head of security Andy Wignall added that emergency workers should be able to do their jobs without fear of assault, and the trust will work with Greater Manchester Police to bring offenders to justice.