Hospital safety: how to do more with less

IP video surveillance solutions and access control systems help hospitals combat theft and protect patients and employees. In this article, Noelia Castillon, Southern Europe Channel Marketing Manager of Honeywell Security, explains why it is important to keep a security system up to date in a health center and how this does not have to be associated with a high cost.

At a difficult economic time when hospital budgets have been impacted across Europe, decide how to prioritize investments, it can be a bit more complicated.

With increasing pressure to increase investment in medicines, Equipment, formation, new staff and other variables, no wonder security has sometimes been relegated to the background. In this article, Noelia Castillon, Southern Europe Channel Marketing Manager of Honeywell Security Group, explains why it is important to keep a security system up to date in a hospital, and as this does not have to carry associated a high cost.

Although initially we might think that hospitals are not places of risk, reality shows us otherwise. For example, patient or staff belongings are stolen, or even expensive equipment such as computers or tablets. Another common crime in the hospital environment is the theft of medicines, as well as violence against patients and staff, which can take very different forms, from misdemeanors to extreme cases.

In England, according to NHS Protect figures (entity responsible for protecting the staff and equipment of public hospitals from crime), assaults on hospital staff increased by almost one 9% of 2013 To 2014. A recent study of hospitals in Germany, Austria and Switzerland revealed that the 73% of the interviewees had suffered some kind of aggression, from vandalism to altercations or large-scale fights. In South Africa, violent crime in public hospitals has seen a strong growth in the 50% From 2002.

These violent attacks on staff have a negative impact on the hospital's reputation, the recruitment of staff in the sector and, on many occasions, give rise to endless legal battles. In Europe, theft is also a constant problem in health facilities, where every week there are disappearances of medicines, equipment and belongings of employees and patients.

At this point, the question would then be, why don't hospitals invest more in strengthening their security? The quickest response might be: for the cost involved. fortunately, there are a number of security solutions that all hospitals can implement and their implementation would not involve a high expense.

Access Control/IP Video Surveillance

Access control is one of the most effective security solutions available to hospitals to combat theft. The possibility of establishing a security perimeter in certain areas of the hospital, with restricted access to a small number of trusted employees, can reduce the likelihood of theft and the list of suspects in case the theft occurs.

Although it would be advisable to implement an access control system throughout the hospital building, in a first phase, its implementation could be prioritized only in areas with equipment, high-value medicines and information and then continue with other areas.

IP video surveillance solutions are a fundamental investment for any hospital.

The improvements offered by this technology in image quality mean that when an incident occurs, hospital security teams will be able to quickly identify the person responsible and provide authorities with high-resolution recordings for use in court. In addition, high-quality CCTV images protect staff in case of lawsuits, with clear clear images of the alleged incidents.

In cases where the budget does not allow you to replace your analog technology with IP, hybrid technology would be the right solution. Hybrid systems, that integrate existing systems with new IP technology, offer a gradual transition to IP that can be carried out over several years as the economic situation allows it. Also, hospitals that already have it infrastructure, the transition to ip will be even easier.

Video analytics

On the other hand, it is also worth noting the benefits that video analytics offers in the hospital environment.

It is a technology capable of providing alerts to hospital security personnel to predict and prevent criminal activity before it occurs. For example, if a group of young people stays for a suspiciously long period of time in the car park, the security officer will receive a potential risk alert.

If a person visiting an inpatient family member prowls for a long time around a medication closet, it is possible to quickly investigate the incident. Also, one of the ways in which hospital managers, with limited budgets, can justify this investment by focusing on the business data that video analytics can provide: staff traffic, patients and vehicles, that contributes to understanding and optimizing hospital processes and management.

Summarizing, hospitals have different ways to invest in security technology while maintaining their budget balance. Such technology can facilitate the return on investment in a positive way in different ways, from reducing theft and insurance premium costs, to avoid costly litigation and provide valuable business information about hospital processes. But, especially, protects people (patients, staff and visits) in times of high vulnerability.

Noelia Castillon

Southern Europe Channel Marketing Manager, Honeywell Security Group

 

 

 

 

 

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