In a sector where budgets are always a focus of attention, delivering concrete returns to every investment is crucial, reports ASSA ABLOY.
By digitalising access, healthcare premises – whether large hospitals or small clinics – can benefit from day one.
They can improve staff and patient safety; quickly implement more efficient, time-saving workflows; and painlessly meet compliance demands.
Healthcare sites
Healthcare sites always present complex access challenges. They must be welcoming, accessible public spaces.
They often occupy large, sprawling areas; unfamiliar faces and first-time visitors are around every single day.
At the same time, these premises inevitably have valuable and/or sensitive assets, including confidential data and medicines, which must be secured.
Patients, doctors, nurses and support staff must feel safe.
In labs and treatment suites, restricted materials and valuable equipment need both security and a compliant system for logging every access event.
This has always been healthcare’s ‘business-as-usual’: it is a complex environment for any security manager.
Modern hospitals and clinics, however, now face an extra level of challenges – and opportunities.
Their access system may benefit from integration with fire detection, CCTV and other building solutions, for example.
With so many temporary and contract workers employed on-site, access is in constant motion.
It needs to be tailored to specific and very different needs and, equally, revoked when any time-limited tasks are complete.
Rapid investigation
In case of a security breach, rapid investigation is essential.
Tracing and logging access to specific areas may also be a legal requirement, especially with new NIS2 regulations introduced for critical infrastructure, which demand proactive “hybrid” cyber/physical security frameworks for many healthcare premises.
Relying on manual or siloed systems to complete these tasks could eat up hours or even days for security and even medical staff.
Happily, there is a better way to work.
Digital access for the healthcare sector
The solution is access digitalisation.
Digital access devices and credentials help to keep every hospital user safe.
Unauthorised access is minimised because unapproved key copies rarely circulate and lost credentials are cancelled with a click.
Employees and equipment are safer because more access points may be digitally secured.
Issuing contractors and temporary staff with digital or even mobile credentials can further simplify the granting, amending and revoking of site access. Security teams waste less time handing out and collecting keys.
Intelligent, intuitive software helps facilities managers stay in control even while they are off-site.
Logging access to specific assets or areas becomes quick and simple: a few clicks rather than the laborious process of keeping manual logs up to date.
“Many efficiency and security benefits are within reach”
David Moser, SVP and Head of Digital Access Solutions at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions EMEIA commented: “Access is such an important part of any holistic approach to safety.
“Digitalising access immediately puts powerful tools in the hands of hospital management, delivering tangible daily benefits to meet security challenges head-on, improving efficiency and regulatory compliance at the same time.”
“There’s now a device to extend existing systems with digital control at almost any access point, whatever building solution is in place.
“Alternatively, we can equip customers with whole solutions to implement digital access from scratch, without invasive installation. So many efficiency and security benefits are within reach,” he concluded.