Reviewing Security and Access Management – Supporting our Health Care Trusts

Investing in a safer future together

Following formal written plea from NHS England to health trusts to conduct an urgent review of security and access control systems with the spotlight on mortuary access and post-mortem activities, Check your Security are the professional security consultants fully equipped to understand the new legislation and to recommend improvements to ensure compliance.

Following formal written plea from NHS England to health trusts to conduct an urgent review of security and access control systems with the spotlight on mortuary access and post-mortem activities, Check your Security are the professional security consultants fully equipped to understand the new legislation and to recommend improvements to ensure compliance.

As we move into 2022, the Government and Care Quality Commission, the independent regulator of health and adult social care in England, published key updates to the regulatory approach. This document outlined the requirements for the healthcare sector to review all security measures and to display evidence that sufficient measures are in place. This will relate to effective CCTV coverage, all entry and access points controlled by swipe-card access, risk assessments and appropriate DBS check application for employees and visiting personnel.

The main objective of the CQC is to support the services and trusts to ensure people receive safe care. This guidance, partnered with the changing landscape in which healthcare is operating following pandemic disruption, means that changes and new measures are required to be in place and fully operational as a matter of urgency.

Starting with a security audit to capture the current provision, along with recommendations for improving security in the most sensitive locations, Check Your Security will ensure a compliant system is in place, that cannot be compromised to ensure reputation is preserved. It is important that a permanent security solution is found, fully adopted and managed going forward to be compliant with the CQC company processes.

For the health care sector, there are a number of key issues that need to be addressed including mandatory reporting procedures, both of a qualitative and quantitative level. This will demonstrate adequate provision is in place and covers both management level regular reporting and review in addition to tailored reports to highlight specific areas of risk or for one-off event risk assessment. The new approach will encourage forward-thinking and aim to highlight potential vulnerabilities in the system and to mitigate these before the system is compromised.

It will also be mandatory for health care organisations to demonstrate their investment in the wellbeing and safety provision of their full community to include; patients, staff, visitors and contractors.

In order to remain ahead of the curve and cement their reputation in this field, healthcare providers should not only strive to meet the minimum requirements set out by the CQC, but to generate high level reporting to encourage advanced safety precautions and movements to be adopted across the trust. This could include specific access control and monitoring relating to Covid track and trace and the synergy of staff and visitor movements across facilities and multiple locations.

Check Your Security are a trusted partner and now maintain and install some of the most advanced and reliable access control and door entry systems and solutions on the market today. Check Your Security are proud of their 95% customer retention rate, the evidenced needed for reassurance to new customers that are an excellent company to partner with demonstrating professionalism, sensitivity and skill in this field. In addition to providing a range of security disciplines including IP CCTV, Access Control and IP Intercom, Check Your Security also offer customers a full consulting service.

They have established trusted partnerships and clients including Liverpool’s Alder Hey Children’s Hospital and pioneers in specialist health care for children, Great Ormond Street Hospital, in addition to over 80 hospitals throughout the UK.

Greg Murphy, Head of Security, Alder Hey Children's Hospital comments; Check Your Security have enabled us to meet the needs of the Trust and deliver a security setup in keeping with the innovative modern building."

With their team of professional security experts, Check your Security will work with you to survey your infrastructure and review of a current operating system. Following this initial audit, they will present their findings and explore solutions ranging from a migration plan towards a new system or a staged update of a legacy system to ensure the security provision is fit for purpose and in line with current legislation and the quality standards required.

Contact Check Your Security for more information - don’t wait for a security breach, act now before it’s too late.