The Northern Health Trust will permanently implement body-worn cameras for staff in the emergency departments at Antrim Area Hospital and Causeway Hospital. The decision follows a 12-week trial at Antrim Area Hospital that ended with no serious incidents recorded.

Cameras are worn on staff lapels and activated only when a patient or visitor shows aggression. A front screen displays footage in real time for those present to see. Signage will inform patients and visitors of the cameras, though wearing them remains optional for staff.

Naomi Baldwin, assistant director of corporate nursing, stated that warnings about camera activation led aggressive patients to alter their conduct. She noted emergency department workers face the most patient aggression. Gill Murphy, executive director of nursing, reported the cameras boosted staff confidence without affecting patient care, privacy, or dignity.

The trust logged 39 incidents in Antrim's emergency department in 2024, including 22 physical assaults such as biting, punching, grabbing, and kicking. Northern Ireland recorded over 72,000 physical and verbal attacks on health and social care staff in the past five years.

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt supports body-worn cameras across health services. He called them an effective deterrent in areas with patient interaction.