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Scottish Government submission of 24 February 2022

PE1877/F - Provide body cameras for all frontline NHS staff

You have asked three questions to update the Citizen Participation and Public Committee after it considered the above petition at its meeting on 19 January 2022.

I have answered the questions asked below:

What plans the Scottish Government has in place to review the findings of the Scottish Ambulance Service’s body camera trial;

As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic which has led to high staff absences and call demand the Scottish Ambulance Service has been unable progress the trial further. The Service will look to resume this trial as soon as practically possible.

Whether the Scottish Government will consider an expansion of the trial should it prove successful;

The completion of the trial will allow for an evidence based evaluation on the real time use of body worn video technology in the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with Scottish Ambulance Service and can confirm that there has been no formal ask of the Scottish Government to fund wider roll-out of body worn video technology in Scotland, given that the trial pilot has not concluded.

There has been, to date, no appetite from the relevant trade unions to introduce body worn video technology for front line ambulance workers in Scotland.

What funding the Scottish Government would make available to support any expansion.

If the evaluation points to a positive cost/benefit analysis we would expect that the findings would inform a business case that the Service would submit to the Scottish Government for consideration. The Scottish Government would welcome these discussions and would seek to additionally draw from evidence collated by ambulance services in London and the North East of England who have taken similar steps.