Friday, 13 February 2009 00:00

Major Security Operation At Savernake Hospital

Is our Health Service improving or slipping? Has the massive injection of Government funds been used effectively to improve patient care? Can we see or measure the level of success achieved from the investment programme?
Savernake Hospital is a shining example of how Kennet and North Wiltshire Primary Care Trust hasencapsulated the new health service environment, providing a modern, purposebuilt community hospital with general medical inpatient beds, an elderly mentally infirm ward and a minor injuries unit.
The hospital is equipped with the very latest diagnosticequipment and is digitally linked to the Great Western Hospital radiology department providing an X-ray service with minimal patient waiting times.

The Primary Care Trust has also considered the provision of a safe working environment from which healthcare and associated activities canbe delivered, by providing a bespoke CCTV, access control and intruder alarm system, specified, installed and maintained by Security Design Centre Limited(SDC).

Access control into and around the hospital was a keyconcern of the hospital and SDC addressed this issue in two ways. First a vandal resistant FERMAX audio visual intercom unit was installed at the hospital main entrance and linked to the reception desk for out of hours entry.

Second, for the staff entrance and internal doors to staffareas, a KERI 500 access system was provided with staff being issued with proximity cards for use with the KERI MS3000 readers. The staff proximity cards were programmed with different access levels to reflect their specific requirements and responsibility.

The KERI access control system is an attractively priced PCbased system and network able up to 256 doors and 10,000 card holders and canoperate on Windows 98, 2000 or NT. “Thereporting functions of the system are extensive and so easy to use,particularly in a hospital environment where a great deal of system flexibilityis required” quoted Gary Pound KERI UK Sales Manager.

To deter break-ins and identify any breaches to security aGalaxy 500 intruder alarm system is installed.

Door contacts and dual technology, wide angle movementsensors are installed in corridors and rooms with vulnerable external windows.

The Galaxy 500 installation complies with BS4737 and is provided with Dualcom signalling to a remote alarm receiving centre for instantpolice response.

The final piece in the Savernake security jig-saw is the CCTV system, comprising 10 strategically located internal and external cameraslinked to two 15” colour monitors, a Sony recorder and a 360 VisionKeyboard/Control Matrix.

The cameras include both fully functional 360 Vision dome(18:1 colour/mono 480TVL resolution) and JVC ?” fixed colourcamera with varifocal lens (4mm to 9mm).

David Trimmer, Managing Director of Security Design CentreLimited said “We have extensive experience installing security systems in theHealth Care sector, the Savernake Hospital project reflects the thoroughnesswith which some Primary Care Trusts are approaching the provision of a safeworking environment as well as delivering an efficient healthcare service. We are proud to have contributed to theoverall success of this project”.