Healthy security for hospitals and care homes

With large premises, expensive equipment held on site and a large number of visitors accessing the premises every day, hospitals and residential care homes face a number of security threats. While ensuring the safety of patients, staff, visitors and assets is always a top priority, it is also a challenge. Access control plays a key role tackling this challenge.

Hospitals and care homes have high volumes of valuable goods located on site such as computers and IT equipment, while sensitive patient data is also often held on site, as well as the personal possessions of staff, visitors and patients. Both equipment and possessions are extremely attractive to thieves so it is no surprise that these sites are increasingly becoming targeted by criminals. For these reasons, an growing number of premises are now turning to access control systems for extra protection.

What is access control?
Access control provides the ability to control, monitor and restrict the movement of people or assets in, out and around a building or site. Depending on the location and sensitivity of the area involved, access control measures can range from paper-based logging systems for temporary contractors’ permits through to access control cards using radio frequency identification (RFID) chips for more convenient proximity reading of card details and activation of gates, turnstiles and vehicle barriers.

The system has a wide range of applications from controlling a single entrance door to a large integrated security network solution, and can prove invaluable when protecting areas holding sensitive information or valuable equipment.

Access control can be used to ensure that only authorised persons, such as staff, can access specific areas of the sites, or that the whole site is inaccessible to intruders outside of opening hours. In hospitals, the system can also be used to restrict access to areas that need to be kept separate from the rest of the premise for the safety of other patients, such as isolation rooms.

Three components
The systems consist of three components. Firstly, there is the physical barrier, which restricts access into a building. This is achieved through methods such as doors being secured by a magnetic or strike lock and turnstiles or speedgates, which are designed to limit access to one person for one card presented.

Secondly, there is the identification device, which identifies users of an access control system before granting access. There are a variety of different devices including a proximity card and reader which uses Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), at both a short or long read range. Other methods include a smart card and reader, a swipe card and reader, PIN pads or biometric equipment such as fingerprint and iris scanning. This equipment can be used throughout a hospital’s site, which will only grant access to staff and patients thereby reducing the risk of intruders.

The door controller and software is the third important tool in an access control system. This is used to decide who can gain access through which access point at what time of day, and can vary depending on the size of the system and how many readers or sites are being controlled. There are several options when it comes to installing this technology including: a standalone door controller linked to a single door with no software; a number of door controllers all linked together to a single PC to control one site; a number of sites all interlinked together over a wide network area. All three systems are effective and depend on the premises’ requirements.

Other features
There are many more features of access control that can be of further benefit to hospitals and residential care homes.

The first is visitor monitoring, which proves very useful in these types of premises, as visitors can often be difficult to spot as they can blend in with staff and patients very easily. Therefore the use of PC and computer networks should be considered as these systems can print photographic ID of staff and allow access to be restricted to certain areas. This is an easy and inexpensive solution for visitor management that is frequently used.

In addition, systems such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) and fire roll-call software can prove valuable as well.

ANPR is particularly useful on the larger sites where a high volume of staff, patients and visitors are driving in and out of the premises. ANPR will monitor the entry of vehicles on-site using CCTV-style cameras and computer software, which identify number plates. Some systems will also store photographs of the driver and vehicle for subsequent analysis. This sophisticated software will draw attention to on-site (or off-site) security staff and will enable them to identify any returning cars that are considered suspicious. Furthermore, it allows critical information to be passed to the police to assist in the pursuit, identification and capture of offenders.

Fire roll-call software, on the other hand, automatically generates a report containing vital information as to the whereabouts of individuals inside a building in the event of a fire. This software operates via the access control smart card or fob that an employee uses to gain access/exit a building. In the event of an emergency the fire roll-call software alerts occupants while simultaneously activating the report at a safe pre-determined remote point.

Integrating the system
Due to the nature of the work carried out in hospitals and residential care homes, security is of paramount importance. Access control can greatly assist these premises and ensures that staff, patients and visitors are safe while on-site and any unauthorised personnel cannot access areas that they should not be entering. However, a truly effective security strategy is one that combines a number of different measures, to ensure all aspects of protecting a premise are covered.

The ease of integrating access control with other security measures is another reason why the system is so appealing, and it enables hospitals and care homes to provide even tougher protection for their site. The systems are often effectively linked to the likes of CCTV, property marking, perimeter protection or intruder alarms.

In particular, CCTV and access control are a great security combination. CCTV systems greatly assist the site because if any unauthorised personnel attempts to access a specific area they should not enter, this action can be recorded and the footage analysed. Cameras strategically placed around a site can provide a thorough coverage of large areas, and if the system is outsourced to a private security company, can be monitored 24/7. Providing an in house security solution could also be effective, with security on site to protect the site and its contents. The systems act also as deterrent to intruders and criminals.

Reputable suppliers will be happy to dispense advice on the correct installation and set-up of CCTV systems, and how this can be integrated effectively with access control measures.

Security in Derbyshire
One BSIA member was called upon by Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust after they experienced difficulties with repeat offences of theft, robbery and motor vehicle theft at its sites and who wanted an access control and CCTV solution. The BSIA member installed CCTV across a network of 11 Derbyshire NHS sites, which linked back to a monitoring centre. Across the 11 sites, a variety of 37 CCTV units, infrared detectors and tannoy solutions were installed. The BSIA member also introduced a total of 17 access control installations as well as 24 proximity readers, break glass and infrared detectors. This integrated system provided operators with a quicker and more effective solution and a thorough overview of the entire site’s security.

Each member of Derbyshire NHS staff was then issued with an access key. On using the key, the action is bookmarked along with the footage from the nearest CCTV unit. If an access card is stolen and access is granted fraudulently, CCTV footage of when and where it was used can be brought up on the integrated recording timeline. This is done almost instantaneously thus allowing for quick evidential footage retrieval. Furthermore, if one of the break-glass detectors or an infrared alarm is activated, this is also logged into the CCTV footage, which operators can examine straightaway.  Since installing the system, crime rates across Derbyshire Mental Health Services NHS Trust have reduced to zero.

This integration of access control could also be combined with intruder alarm technology. If unauthorised personnel attempt to access a protected area, an alarm could be triggered drawing attention to that individual in the hope that it will deter them from continuing to break through the barrier. It will also enable security staff to respond to the incident and send someone out to deal with the person(s) as appropriate.

Invaluable protection
Access control systems are invaluable to hospitals and residential care homes, and the flexibility of the systems available on the market means that they can respond to different requirements. To ensure even greater protection of the premises it is, however, important to combine the system with other security measures such as CCTV and alarms.

If you are new to sourcing access control and other security products, you can receive expert advice by employing a security consultancy. The consultancy will be able to take into consideration the individual requirements of your premises and advise as to what the best security solutions in the market are. They will also be able to put you in contact with reputable suppliers, making sure that your money is well spent.

BSIA members meet strict quality criteria and as such, the Association’s website is a great place to start when considering your next security investment. To locate a supplier in your area, or to find out more about the solutions mentioned in this article, visit the website.

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) is the professional trade association of the UK security industry. Its members produce over 70 per cent of the country’s security products and services to strict quality standards.

For more information:
Tel: 0845 3893889
Web: www.bsia.co.uk