The Healthcare Sector faces its own unique security challenges. These challenges include the open plan nature of hospitals, the need to protect patient privacy and dignity, safeguarding intellectual property, preventing theft, and ensuring the safe storage of controlled substances. The best practice guidance for both new healthcare buildings and for the adaptation of existing facilities emphasises that, security measures should be integrated into the design of all healthcare buildings to protect patients, staff, visitors and the security of the premises.
Healthcare facilities require varying levels of security and physical protection due to their unique and complex environments. The specific security needs of a facility are influenced by several factors, such as the location, the assets being protected and the critical nature of the area. The valuable nature of the assets found in healthcare facilities, such as medical equipment, medication, and sensitive patient information requires protection and different types of security control measures are available to meet the operational and security needs.
Striking the right balance, between allowing appropriate access to the healthcare premises and providing a safe and secure environment for staff and patients is key to success. To achieve proportionate security controls, an integrated security solution is needed that addresses the risks faced. There isn’t one size that fits all, as each premises has it’s own unique characteristics that will impact on the security needs. However, as ensuring the integrity and security of the facility is essential to the safety of the organisation, a combination of physical and technical security countermeasures are normally deployed in concentric layers to combat the risks faced. We refer to this as defence in depth.
Contact us today to discuss how we can support your security needs to help you create a safe and secure healthcare environment where staff and patients prosper.