Comprising a large tertiary and secondary hospital, along with three rural hospitals, Waikato DHB is a substantial healthcare operator which employs approximately 6,000 staff throughout the region. With security needs that include protecting staff from verbal and physical abuse, safely securing high-dependency patients in dementia wards, restricting unauthorized access to medication and medical equipment, and protecting high-risk facilities such as newborn intensive care units, Waikato DHB required security systems that could be applied to both high and low security areas. In 2004 they found that solution in
Gallagher’s range of innovative security products.
Access control and regulatory compliance
Gallagher’s
access control system and Command Centre central management platform, provide Waikato DHB with control over access in and out of areas within the hospital. With access profiles that change on a daily basis, as medical staff – predominantly nurses – move between different departments on different days, it’s vital that the system can be updated simply and efficiently. The safe and secure storage of medication and medical equipment – ranging from syringes and surgical tools, to large expensive machinery – is a legal requirement of all hospitals in New Zealand. Gallagher’s access control solution forms a part of the security system that delivers this for Waikato DHB facilities. Utilizing a single access card system - where permissions can be set to allow different access - ensures the efficient movement of staff, reduces the risks associated with handling keys, and provides a comprehensive audit trail that identifies access movements by employee.
Staff and patient safety
Waikato DHB is proud to put people at the center of what they do, and strives to ensure staff and patient safety at all times. A number of Waikato DHB’s wards require high-level security either for the protection of the patients – as in the case of dementia facilities – or staff. Duress buttons located throughout the hospital and its high-risk areas automatically notify security staff of the exact location where a duress alarm has been activated. Gallagher’s Mobile Client application (available with Command Centre v7.30) delivers these duress notifications directly to a guard’s Apple iPhone device – speeding up the delivery of urgent information directly to security personnel. The ability to lock-down areas of the hospital for safety reasons is paramount.
License features
With so many visitors and staff coming and going from the hospital, carpark management is an important aspect of facilities administration for Waikato DHB. In choosing a solution, the DHB selected Gallagher’s Carkpark Management system - an optional License Feature. Through an integration with Gallagher’s Command Centre security management software, staff are able to badge their access card at one of the many staff and public carparks on site, and have their parking fee deducted from their pre-paid account. The program has in-built intelligence including the ability for staff to exit and reenter during a set period without being recharged. This system has streamlined parking processes, particularly for part-time and shift-work staff who have irregular parking requirements.
Waikato DHB’s facilities are continually expanding and this means a large number of contractors may be present on site within a 24 hour period. By utilizing another Gallagher License Feature - electronic Tag Boards - contractors can easily sign on and off of the site.
A number of other system integrations appear across the site, including video surveillance. Waikato DHB’s largest hospital facility, Waikato Hospital, has over 250 video surveillance cameras connected to Gallagher’s Command Centre platform.
Forward thinking
As Waikato DHB’s requirements continue to evolve, Gallagher’s systems expand alongside them. To remain at the forefront of technology, Waikato DHB has a software maintenance agreement with Gallagher, to ensure they operate the very latest software available. Through Waikato DHB’s experience with Gallagher products, the team developed a “Security Ward Standard”. This standard details the minimum security equipment required for new buildings, including access control, duress alarms, and cameras. The Security Ward Standard has greatly reduced the time involved by Waikato DHB staff in producing specification documents and gathering approvals.