Security is paramount for the healthcare sector. Patients need to heal and recover in a secure environment and their healthcare providers must be able to deliver medical care feeling safe. Medical buildings house expensive equipment and medicines that the NHS cannot afford to lose, not to mention patient documents that contain sensitive data. If these documents get lost or misplaced, the healthcare centre responsible could face fines of up to €20 million due to the new data regulation law, GDPR.
Diagnosis
Staff at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt (RJAH) Orthopaedic Hospital and Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust were looking for access control systems that would reinforce building security while being easy to use for staff.
Both hospitals have multiple buildings and rooms that needed to be secure. For both, the systems had to meet the following requirements:
Treatment
A smart solution was favoured by the Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, who discovered that the CL5510 smart lock best met its needs. The multiple options of code, card and phone entry made access convenient for staff by removing the hassle of storing, issuing and replacing keys.
The sophisticated NetCode technology built into the lock allows audit trails to be viewed and downloaded, enabling its building managers to keep track of who enters the building and when. Entry can be tightly controlled and monitored by issuing time-specific NetCodes which are generated and sent via email and SMS and automatically expire after a certain period. These features have been particularly useful for tracking entry outside of peak hours.
For the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, the CL160 mechanical lock provided the perfect solution. The lock was simple to install and could be easily retrofitted onto existing doors. On-the-door code changes could be made easily, making lock management convenient for staff in terms of maintenance and saving time.
Additionally, this lock comes with a choice of code functions for ultimate flexibility. EasyCode requires the lock to be removed from the door to change the code, thus ensuring a level of management control over who can change the code. Whereas, QuickCode allows code change while the lock is fitted to the door which is convenient to change codes quickly.
Results
Both the CL160 and CL5510 locks enable convenient access for hospital staff and an extra layer of security for the respective hospitals. Staff at both medical facilities now have rooms that don’t require monitoring and access can be easily managed.
The flexibility of the CL5510 smart lock enables staff at the Calderdale and Huddersfield hospital to choose the most suitable access method for them. Since this lock utilises wireless technology, building managers can programme the lock via their smartphones. This includes generating codes and issuing smart cards to users.
This smart lock also provided an added bonus for the hospital. As it was replacing an existing Codelocks mechanical lock, there was no requirement to drill extra holes in the door to comply with fire regulations. Gary Evans, building supervisor, explained: “If we had used a different company, we would have had to re-drill holes on a completely new door to meet the fire door regulation. This was a huge bonus as the regulation is becoming increasingly tight. The lock helped us comply and is also good quality, reliable and easy to programme with new codes.”
The CL160 mechanical lock also offered positive results for the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital.
The codes on the lock can be quickly changed, providing rapid access for external visitors when needed. This is particularly beneficial for lock management where regular code changes are required.
Speaking of the lock’s success, building team leader of the RJAH Orthopaedic Hospital, Matthew Mackenzie said: “We have various buildings across the site that need to be secure, so it’s convenient that the lock enables quick and easy code changes to save time for staff around our busy site. It was easy to install and requires low maintenance, so has certainly freed up more time for our staff. I’d highly recommend this lock to other building managers.”
Security in a medical facility is absolutely essential, so lock down your access control system and take a step towards smarter security today.
