SAFETY
Inconspicuous systems enhance patient autonomy.
Considering safety systems at the point of specification allows designers and architects to optimise room layouts, wall placements and supporting infrastructure.
Simon Hemming
Simon Hemming is the CEO of Pinpoint Limited. With over 30 years of experience in the electronic security industry, Simon is an expert in the effective design and functionality of staff safety systems. Having worked with countless organisations, from mental health facilities to hospitals and schools, Simon is attuned to the challenges high-risk workplaces face and the approach required to support organisational safety.
Crucially, these systems are designed to be inconspicuous yet easily accessible. This approach not only enhances safety but also supports patient autonomy, giving individuals confidence that help is readily available without constant observation or intrusion. As a result, service users have a more positive in-patient experience, contributing to improved treatment outcomes and long- term recovery. Considering safety systems at the point of specification allows designers and architects to optimise room layouts, wall placements and supporting infrastructure. This not only improves emergency response times but also enhances everyday workflow, enabling staff to request support efficiently and reducing avoidable risk.
Digital innovation and integration Alongside physical design and safety systems, digital integration is increasingly shaping mental health environments. Digital technologies influence everything from infrastructure and workflow to incident reporting and audits, but they deliver the greatest benefit when planned from the outset rather than retrofitted. In mental health facilities, integrated digital safety and communication systems can link with wider hospital infrastructure, supporting accurate location reporting, access control and incident logging. This provides valuable data for reviewing incidents, identifying trends and informing future design or operational decisions. Artificial intelligence and smart building technologies are also beginning to influence how healthcare environments are managed. While AI is often discussed in the context of streamlining administrative tasks and diagnostics, it can also be used to analyse patterns in patient flow and space usage. These insights can inform decisions around staffing and resource utilisation. Healthcare settings that bring these technologies
70 Health Estate Journal November 2026
together are already seeing benefits linked to improved clinical outcomes and operational efficiency. For healthcare professionals working under pressure, digital integration can free up time for direct patient care. For estates managers, connected systems offer greater visibility and control, helping to maximise the return on investment from new builds and refurbishments while ensuring facilities are future-proofed. At facilities such as St Ann’s Hospital, where the Pinpoint safety alarm system is embedded in the site, the infrastructure can be extended and adapted to ensure consistent coverage as buildings are added or refurbished. Interoperability is key, allowing the organisation to future-proof its investment and respond flexibly to changing clinical and operational needs.
Designing for the realities of modern healthcare As projects move from concept to delivery, the challenge for mental health designers and estates teams is to prioritise solutions that deliver long-term value. The most effective environments are those where therapeutic design, sustainability, safety and digital capability are seamlessly integrated to reflect the complexity of modern mental healthcare. By embedding these considerations early in the design and planning process, mental health facilities can better support recovery, protect staff wellbeing and remain resilient in the face of future challenges. Thoughtful, evidence-based design has the power not only to improve outcomes but also to shape mental health environments that are calmer, safer and more humane for everyone who uses them.
Acknowledgement n This article originally appeared in The Network.
AdobeStock / NINENII
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