In the first change of security provider at Kingston and Richmond NHS Foundation Trust in nearly 30 years, Assist Security Group (ASG) has been appointed to deliver security services at Kingston Hospital in west London.
The contract went live in April. Security officers cover the emergency department, maternity wards, and a control room, operating 24 hours. The firm is rolling out its NHS Security Development Programme there as in use across the guard firmโs other NHS contracts in London.
It won in the training category at the UK Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs) in February. It promotes a one-team culture between security officers and clinical staff, according to a โOne Person, One Voiceโ method. That means that in sensitive patient interactions, only one member of staff communicates at a time, reducing confusion and the risk of escalation. Assist CEO Troy Hewitt said: โOur task is to make a real difference: to the staff who work there every day, to the patients in their care, and to everyone who walks through those doors. Weโve brought new practices and training to Croydon, Epsom, and St Helier NHS, and weโll do it at Kingston too, working closely with clinical and management teams.โ
About the firm
Assist has contracts with Guyโs and St Thomasโ, Croydon, and Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trusts also in London. It’s a member of the ACS Pacesetters group of highest-scoring contractors approved by the Security Industry Authority regulator. Visit www.assistsecurity.co.uk.
