72% of respondents have cited violence to staff as the leading security challenge facing them and their team in an independent study by Axis Communications, in collaboration with IFSEC Insider.
The survey of security professionals working in the healthcare industry also found – when asked whether they had witnessed abuse (either verbal or physical) against healthcare workers, administrative staff or security personnel at their medical institute – that 40% of respondents said it happens on a daily basis while nearly a quarter said it happens weekly.
Violence to staff was given as the top answer to the study on security procedures within the healthcare environment that covered both physical and cyber related considerations. This was given ahead of factors including ‘undertrained staff in dealing with security challenges’ at 54%, and ‘budget constraints impacting the ability to upgrade security systems’ in third place at 44%.
“The aim of our research was to understand the leading security challenges within the healthcare setting,” Ian Littell, Global Key Account Manager, Axis Communications, stated. “The last published report – The 2023 NHS Staff Survey by NHS England – found that a quarter of NHS staff experienced at least one incident in the last 12 months.
“On the evidence of our research, it would appear to have got worse so it is vital that we obtain a crystal-clear picture of the situation within healthcare to ensure appropriate action can be taken.”
Combatting violence and abuse in healthcare
The 2023 NHS Staff Survey also reported high levels of abuse against ambulance workers. This resulted in NHS England launching several initiatives including the piloting in ambulance trusts of a body worn camera trial for three years, plus the commissioning of a new Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub which has been funded to March 2025 that will look at ways to improve staff safety including Data and information to share information; Education to extend knowledge; and improved Collaboration.
In keeping with the theme of ways to combat violence in healthcare, the Axis study also looked at what technology would be most effective in overcoming the security challenges.
60% of respondents gave ‘Body worn cameras for staff’ as the top answer followed by ‘Unification of security systems to feed into and be managed in one centralised platform’ at 46% and, thirdly, ‘Upgraded video surveillance systems with embedded AI’ at 38%.
However, only 26% gave the threat of cyber attack as a concern, despite the known ramifications and increased risks resulting from geo-political tensions.
“The current NHS initiatives are welcome which, as always, will have to look at making the best use of resources,” Ian Littell, Axis Communications, continued. “This is where it is critical that smart choices are made in terms of technology procurement moving forward. This must be considered in the round and not in isolation.
“For example, body worn cameras are a powerful visual deterrent but don’t cover the full picture and are not going to solve the broader issue on their own.
“This has to be thought about not in terms of silos which perpetuates a rip-and-replace model, but in terms of a unified system where modules can be integrated to improve operational efficiency over time.”
Axis believes that their unified solution enables the seamless integration of video surveillance, IP audio, body worn devices and access control.
In a healthcare setting, for example, this would help to manage flash points such as through the use of people counting or aggression detection analytics software to monitor for increased build-up of people and tensions that triggers audio notifications to relay timely messages.
This would help achieve the aims of the Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub to improve staff safety as it facilitates data collation, improves collaboration and enhances education.
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