Secure, safe, and sensitive solutions

Here, Tina Hughan, head of marketing for specialist in door opening systems, Assa Abloy, gives her view on how security providers can help healthcare estates and facilities teams to cope with this disturbing trend.

Statistics from the BBC in November last year revealed that assaults on doctors, nurses, paramedics, and ambulance crews, were at a record high, with nearly 60,000 incidents recorded. Regionally, NHS Trusts in South London, Surrey, and Worcestershire, reported rises of over 30% in violent attacks, while Trusts in Wales launched campaigns specifically targeted at this issue. There were anomalies, with Sheffield NHS Trust, for example, reporting a fall in the number of attacks on staff; however even this Trust still experienced nearly 800 incidents in 2011. Fears that the proposed NHS reforms will place additional pressure on resources and staff, leaving them more vulnerable and exposed, have reignited the issue of security, most notably within hospitals, where the highest number of cases occur. The continuing debate on NHS reforms, meanwhile, combined with the potential for the first GP strikes since the 1970s, over pensions, have created something of a siege mentality within the NHS. While security has to offer improved protection for staff, it is also important to ensure that it does not create a staff/ patient divide, retaining the principles of openness, convenience, and accessibility. ‘Accessibility’ is a guiding principle for the NHS, as well as a contentious issue under the planned reforms, but, more than ever, it is door opening solutions that need to strike the right balance between protection and accessibility. As the first point of contact, hospital foyers and Accident and Emergency receptions are often among the most volatile areas. With a high volume of traffic, distressed patients and visitors, and numerous access points, they have the potential to be mismanaged and unsecure for staff and patients alike.

Balancing vulnerability with safety