NAHS Conference 2023: Attacks on NHS staff, security and privacy technology
As an NAHS Corporate Partner, Facit Data Systems was delighted to attend this year’s National Association for Healthcare Security (NAHS) Annual Conference on 22-23 November. We heard excellent speakers and were fortunate to meet many specialist security experts.
NAHS Conference themes: staff safety, technological innovation
There were themes that ran consistently through the talks delivered as well as in the conversations among attendees and on stands. One stand-out theme was the problem posed by the lack of a working framework for protecting NHS staff at a time when violence against staff has increased to unprecedented levels.
Another constant topic was how the avowed aim of the NHS to embrace security technology and innovation is hampered by a lack of unified thought and action.
As a specialist in data privacy compliance in video and documents, we also noted the barriers to innovation that could help to solve mounting security problems. Namely:
Shortage of in-house expertise
Budget constraints
Capacity constraints
Competing operational priorities
Disparate initiatives
New NHS security standards, a priority but delayed
In its round-up of the conference, Professional Security Magazine, identified the hour-long presentation by Stephen Groves and Andy Summerbell of NHS England as arguably the most consequential and newsworthy, in terms of narrow hospital security.
The presentation set out how the NHS lead body for the country is attempting to resurrect security standards that have remained dormant since the closure NHS Protect. In 2017, the historical body that oversaw security management and counter-fraud became the NHS Counter Fraud Authority.
In light of the steep rise in violence in hospitals over the past several years, it is worth recalling how UNISON Head of Health, Christina McAnea, responded to the closure of NHS Protect six years ago. She said:
“Assaults on NHS staff are growing. That’s why it’s so worrying that the body looking after them and prosecuting offenders – NHS Protect – has been closed, and its staff diverted to counter fraud and protect property.
“Stopping fraud is important, but it sends the wrong message to employees that the NHS values its buildings more than staff safety.
“It’s going to be harder to gauge the scale of assaults or to prevent them happening in the first place. The NHS must fill this gap as a matter of urgency to show employees it takes their safety seriously.”
Christina McAnea’s words have unfortunately proven to be prophetically accurate.
Lack of security training and shortage of reliable data on abuse of NHS staff
In their presentation, Stephen Groves and Andy Summerbell lamented the fact that the National Health Service has been left without any data gathering on, for example, incidents of violence against staff. Also, there is currently no national training of security managers which, pre-2017, were known as local security management specialists (LSMS).
Since 2017 security has had no place in the conditions of NHS contracts, which means that a patient or visitor to an NHS hospital cannot have confidence in a consistent approach to security across the NHS estate.
NHS England warned that there is unlikely to be concrete development on a new security framework before 2025. The speakers admitted that they were without the people and funding to advance the work.
NHS safety initiatives not getting results
Facit has tried to illustrate the scale of violence inflicted on NHS staff since the demise of NHS Protect in a number of articles published from 2018 onwards. We published an article highlighting that incidents involving verbal and physical abuse, assault and theft are reaching intolerable levels, and captured responses from the NHS and Trusts.
The NHS released a People Plan for 2020/21 that covered a wide range of ways to protect and deliver a safe and inclusive working environment for NHS workers.
“Leaders across the NHS have a statutory duty of care to prevent and control violence in the workplace – in line with existing legislation – so that people never feel fearful or apprehensive about coming to work. NHS England and NHS Improvement have developed a joint agreement with government to ensure action in response to violence against staff.” (People Plan 2020/21).
Despite the introduction of the People Plan, Trusts report increased incidences of violence. North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust is typical of Trusts that publish data. North Tees and Hartlepool revealed statistics from April 2021 to January 2022 that identified 582 violent incidents on staff, which was 111 more than the corresponding period the year before, a rise of 24%.
In an open letter to staff and colleagues in 2022, 44 CEOs from NHS London Trusts and ICSs stated that “abuse is at a dangerous level with many of our once hailed heroes fearing for their safety.”
The 2021 publication Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard makes reference to the high percentage of NHS staff experiencing violence (14%), and cites sectors experiencing much higher levels, such as the ambulance sector (31%).
The impact of violence on staff is that 46.8% of staff felt unwell as a result of work-related stress over a period of 12 months, while 31.1% said they were thinking about leaving the organisation.
Cameras to improve the safety of NHS staff
The extreme workforce challenges that affect the wellbeing of staff and, by extension, the ability to attract and retain staff, are potentially threatening the core fabric of the NHS.
Ambulance staff were the first to be provided with body worn cameras (BWC) based on data showing that 3,569 ambulance staff were physically assaulted by the public in the year 2020, which represented an increase of 30% in five years.
In other reports, the steepest rises in violent behaviour have been recorded in Acute Specialist Trusts and, most notably, in Mental Health/Learning Disability Trusts. The incidents of violence and verbal assault are often extreme, and therefore prompt complaints. Subsequent investigations involve the need to review video evidence of events.
Current staff safety discussions involve the prospect of issuing BWC to nurses. There is a possibility that the cameras will run continuously and not be switched on only when an incident occurs. There is also potential that the cameras will be worn discreetly in colours that blend-in with nurses’ scrubs.
Fractured procurement and absence of technology knowledge
The growing risks of violent or criminal activities that have prompted an increased use of CCTV and BWC that necessarily involve more video data processing and heightened privacy compliance risks.
One of the problems identified at the NAHS conference is that Trusts frequently act independently, which means that they do not always share findings on best security practice. We mentioned earlier how there is no longer an NHS security training protocol.
On the Facit stand, we also detected a lack of awareness about available technology that could help the NHS to implement and operate video technologies efficiently, effectively and compliantly.
The purpose of video is to anticipate events, manage events taking place, and investigate events that have happened. In the case of the NHS, it must be able to process video quickly and cost-effectively in order to protect staff, and to avoid additional burdens being placed on its stretched budgets and resources.
NHS problem-solving conversations: can we help you?
We would be delighted if you contacted us simply to discuss your security challenges and to fill any knowledge gaps. Facit has a wealth of experience in security, data processing and data privacy compliance in the NHS.
Typical questions we encounter from healthcare professionals about managing both video and document data privacy include:
How do we overcome the costs and time associated with manual document and video redaction (data masking)?
What footage is appropriate: face or full body video capture?
How should data be stored to meet compliance standards?
What editing is required to share documents and video footage compliantly?
Can already-installed cameras be upgraded for enhanced video processing?
Should facial recognition be a component of hospital security?
How do you manage continuous footage on body worn cameras?
What is the place of AI in security, and is it a concern?
What time, resources and expertise are required to process video footage and documents compliantly.
Why is outsourcing data redaction considered a risk?
Can we really manage data privacy in-house?
Facit is proud of its work with the NHS. Let us share our experience and introduce you to the latest in video and document data privacy compliance technology.
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