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It’s great to confirm that a brand-new set of security management standards is being introduced for the UK healthcare sector, following news that NHS England has been engaging with the National Association for Healthcare Security (NAHS). This is a major development. The new standards haven’t been published yet and more details will be announced at the NAHS annual conference this week. What’s already clear is that these new standards will have a very positive effect.

Video: Highlights of SafeZone EMEA 2023 Conference

The Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Bill has just moved a step closer to becoming law, with inclusion in the King’s Speech (November 2023). The government’s intention is clear; it wants ‘Martyn’s Law’ to be enacted as part of its upcoming 2023-24 legislative programme. This means that, within the next 12 months, universities and hospitals could find themselves subject to new security and safety requirements. They’ll have to comply with whatever inspection and enforcement regime is introduced after the law is passed. That may not happen immediately, but it is now looking much more likely, so preparing early is advisable. It’s also not hard and will deliver immediate benefits.

In today's fast-paced and competitive work environment, organizations know that it’s important to take seriously various aspects of employee well-being, such as physical health, mental wellness, and work-life balance. However, in wellbeing programs, there's an essential aspect that often takes a backseat, even though it can have a major impact – safety, and feelings of safety. The connection between an individual's sense of safety and their ability to thrive within an organization is profound.  So, safety should be a cornerstone of any well-being program.

In the fast-paced world of healthcare, ensuring the safety of patients and staff is paramount. Workplace violence (WPV) poses a significant and growing threat to the sector, affecting not only the physical and mental wellbeing of personnel but also the quality of patient care. In their strategies for reducing these risks, healthcare organizations, and those who advise them, have traditionally looked to a familiar and long-established range of protective measures. These solutions cannot solve the problems now being faced by the sector: they are largely reactive, and as a result they can only provide limited benefits. 

We know that workplace violence in health settings is mostly patient-generated, and we know that the problem is getting worse. It’s impacting employees and employers, as well as costs and the quality of services. In a groundbreaking new white paper on this topic by Eric Clay, president-elect of IAHSS (the International Association of Healthcare Security and Safety), the violence statistics from the last decade, drawn from a variety of credible sources, all point steadily upwards.

Increases in workplace violence and aggression are being reported in sectors ranging from healthcare and social care to education and corporate campus settings. At most risk are staff in public facing roles, those working in the community, and those in isolated settings. But all workers are vulnerable and, with an increase in remote working, risks have spread beyond traditional boundaries.

As universities gear up for the new academic year, it’s a timely moment to focus on mental well-being, and the serious difficulties that some young people face in their first weeks and months living away from home.

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The University of York was one of the first in the UK to recognise the value of CriticalArc’s SafeZone technology for improving safety for students and staff. A decade on, the university’s Campus Safety Team is going even further, extending its use of SafeZone to transform the way it ensures wellbeing and meets duty of care.

The University of Houston-Clearlake is known for its focus on high-quality education and research, and for providing a safe, welcoming environment for students, staff, and campus visitors. After a demonstration of SafeZone, UHCL’s executive leadership team immediately saw its value not just for enhancing safety, but for providing additional support for students’ mental and emotional well-being.

Leading healthcare and higher education organizations around the world are looking to collaborate, to ensure the wellbeing of the people for whom they have a shared duty of care. In some settings, the line of responsibility overlaps or is blurred. In some cases, there is close physical proximity, with health and education institutions sharing buildings, or operating facilities on the same campuses; in other cases, there is a regular flow of people between their premises, even though they are geographically distant.