Feature
To function effectively, healthcare facilities must always be perceived as a safe place by the people who reside within them, and as HBN guidance implies, a unified physical security system can help address key safety and security concerns while enhancing patient and staff experience. Opportunely, today’s access control systems are more accessible and adaptable than ever and combine several technologies such as mechanical locks and automatic doors with electronic access credentials in the form of smartphone apps, badge readers and biometric scanners. By integrating these systems into the building’s existing infrastructure, healthcare professionals are better equipped to control the sheer volume of people entering and exiting the premises without impairing the general flow of movement and coordination around the facility.
Better By Design
Despite the clear benefits offered to healthcare facilities, there are a number of considerations to be mindful of when choosing an access control solution. Poorly implemented systems can have an adverse effect on security and functionality - quickly costing healthcare organisations time and budget to rectify and replace the inadequate products that don’t meet the building’s requirements.
For that reason, decision makers and design teams are reminded that there is no single solution that fits all healthcare buildings. As such, it’s crucial for decision makers to understand the systems that are being put in place throughout each of the touchpoints in their facility. Clear collaboration is required during periods of specification, where together, teams can ensure the selected product works on all angles, from meeting fire safety and sustainability standards to aesthetics and scalability.
Frequently overlooked, scalability is a key area that decision makers must review when selecting access control systems. Such is their diverse nature; healthcare facilities can often change and develop as years go by, and by selecting a system that facilitates growth - such as a cloud-based solution - security and efficiency is long-established. While modern access control products are known for seamless integration, there are some systems that may restrict the ability to use different vendors throughout the remainder of the building’s infrastructure. This, in effect, causes a monopolisation of products throughout the estate, which can have an adverse effect on growth by increasing costs and reducing the levels of service associated with the security system already in place.
A scalable and reliable access control system will continue to improve security and safety by adapting to a building’s new requirements - and all while having minimal impact on its operational network. And so, while technology will no doubt continue to influence and transform the access control market, healthcare facilities and their professionals must continue to remain educated on their own systems, ensuring they have the best options in place to keep their patients, staff and visitors safe and secure for years to come.
1:
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP‑7281/CBP‑7281.pdf 2:
https://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/arrangements.htm 3:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/estates/health-building-notes/
4:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/designing-health-and-community-care-buildings-hbn-00-01/ 5:
https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HBN_00-01-2.pdf
6:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/secure-data-environment-policy-guidelines/secure-data-environment-for-nhs-health-and-social-care-data-policy-guidelines
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