MORE needs to be done to tackle NHS assaults, according union representatives after figures showed a rise in the number of attacks on staff despite a £10,000 roll out of police-style body cameras at Oxford's hospitals.

Mental Health worker and Unison representative Ian McKendrick said he is 'far from convinced' on the measure after figures show 215 hospital staff were assaulted in 2016 at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (OUH) despite the investment.

The cameras, worn by on-duty security staff, were hoped to act as a deterrent to assaults and aggression but the latest figures show numbers have risen from 203 assaults in 2015.

Unison representative Ian McKendrick said: "I am far from convinced by the use of body cameras.

"Our whole training is about prevention, what is the government doing about preventing this happening. Assaults have gone up in the past five years and I think it is because of waiting times and patients get frustrated.

"You have to address the thing that is driving people to that."

But the trust put the increase down to a rise in staff numbers meaning the rate remains the same at 17 assaults per 1,000 staff members.

The latest figures show last year 199 of the 215 assaults were due to medical conditions, with 16 having no medical basis.

OUH director of organisational development and workforce Mark Power said aggressive behaviour may sometimes be attributable to a patient's medical condition but when this is not the case the trust refers incidents to the police.

He said: "Our staff strive to deliver compassionate care for our patients, often in very difficult and stressful circumstances.

"Occasionally, members of the public display inappropriate behaviour towards our staff, which is sometimes violent, aggressive or intimidating in nature.

"We take all such incidents very seriously and, where they are reported by staff, will always initiate appropriate action."

Six of the 215 assaults last year were successfully acted upon: two criminal sanctions and four civil sanctions were made, including banning from the premises or official warnings.

The trust said it received nine complaints against staff in 2015 and just five last year, all of which were dismissed using evidence from the cameras.

Trust security manager Rachel Collins said: "The reassurance that the cameras have provided to both staff and patients has been very valuable.

"In the year to December 2016, the Trust provided Thames Valley Police with footage from the body-worn cameras in 14 cases of violence and aggression at the John Radcliffe site. In addition, footage was used in six internal investigations."

The body-worn cameras were bought in early last year for security officers to wear on their chests while on patrol at the county's hospitals.

They are only switched on when officers are attending an incident but automatically capture footage from a minute before being activated.

Staff nurse David Bailey, who works at the John Radcliffe Hospital, said: "From a protecting staff point of view and protecting our patients, to be able to rely on that footage to prove what did go on, it has been a positive thing.

"I have never been physically assaulted myself, more verbal assaults, I think the physical assaults are quite rare. Although, that is not to say they don’t happen but usually you can see them coming and defuse the situation."

Mr Bailey added: "For security staff it is definitely a concern as obviously their role is to look after us and patients and often they have to restrain patients.

"We are very lucky to have a good team and we work very closely with them."

Mr McKendrick, who is the communications officer for Oxfordshire Unison Health Branch, put the rise in NHS assaults down to waiting times and staff shortages and said body cams were 'of limited value'.

Patient Voice spokeswoman Jacquie Pearce-Gervis said: "It is good news that the number of complaints against staff alleging unreasonable force by security officers fell.

"But disappointing that number of assaults on staff are up from 203 to 215 this year.

"It would be a very sad day if all staff had to wear cameras, but maybe consideration should be given to supplying these to staff in certain areas."