Exeter hospital in UK first

For the first time in the UK security officers are going onto hospital wards in Exeter to help nurses and doctors create care packages on how to deal with patients suffering from a mental illness.

Nurses and doctors at the Royal Devon & Exeter need to know how to safely handle and restrain patients who may get aggressive because of their illness.

It can be the elderly suffering from dementia or other illnesses where patients can quickly become agitated or aggressive; on wards or in places like Accident and Emergency.

LISTEN HERE: Security officer Lisa O'Connor is behind the project

Specific techniques have been developed and are now being taught across the hospital - they're proving so successful there's a waiting list to get onto the courses.

The focus on how to deal with situations by talking the patient down and can deal with specific areas like; wrist grabs, hair pulls and strangles against walls.

LISTEN HERE: Service and security manager Paul Honey