A £3.5m control room monitoring 700 cameras covering hospital sites across Leeds has been officially opened.
The Leeds Teaching Hospitals facility has been incorporated into the newly-opened Bexley Wing at St James’s University Hospital, which houses the St James’s Institute of Oncology. The Chief Constable of West Yorkshire, Sir Norman Bettison, opened the centre in August. <br><br>Peter Foy, Head of Security for the Leeds Teaching Hospitals, pictured left with Sir Norman, said: "This is the largest and most ambitious facility anywhere in the NHS and is a major step forward in ensuring safety and security on all our sites. Advanced technology means security staff can monitor activity in hundreds of indoor and outdoor locations, home in on any problems quickly and direct on-site staff to any trouble-spot. We face a huge logistical issue in terms of the size and geographical layout of our various sites and this is the best possible solution for ensuring we keep on top of any incidents. We want to make sure everyone who uses our hospitals feel as safe as possible both day and night.<br><br>"The cameras are also extremely useful in tracking an incident as it occurs, providing evidence which can be used by the police and the courts if necessary when, for example, anti-social behaviour is identified. We have planned this facility in close liaison with West Yorkshire Police, and we are delighted Sir Norman is able to come along and see the new centre for himself." The control room replaces a smaller CCTV monitoring room at the Gledhow Wing at St James’s and the Jubilee Wing across the city at Leeds General Infirmary. It has links to cameras at Seacroft Hospital, Chapel Allerton Hospital and Wharfedale Hospital. The centre can monitor access control, intruder detection and other alerts, relating to medical gases, blood banks, lifts and fire systems. The installer in this part project was Huddersfield-based Garndene Communication Systems; Faber Maunsell were the consultants.<br><br>Operators can access 3D maps of all the sites to pinpoint where an alarm has been activated. It is planned to bring camera capacity to more than 1,000. The trust’s team of security officers comprises 60 staff – 44 in-house (including five duty inspectors) and 16 contract. An Instant Response Team patrols peripheral sites, using two marked security vehicles and three wireless head cams to record incidents such as anti-social behaviour. The Trust has five Police Community Support Officers, as part of a three-year contract with the West Yorkshire force, which started in 2006 – believed to be the first NHS organisation to enter into such a contract. Funding for the officers is split between the trust (which contributes 30 per cent) and the police (70pc). The trust has to deal with vagrants and rough sleepers, alcohol-related trouble, drug-related incidents and anti-social behaviour – the sort of problems that face any city centre hospital. <br><br>To give an idea of size: St James’s, known widely from a TV documentary as Jimmy’s, is the largest of the hospital sites at 57 acres. The Leeds General Infirmary site occupies about 29 acres. The trust as a whole is the second largest employer in the city. A new 1200-space multi-storey built next to the Bexley Wing has just gained the Secure Car Park award. Sir Norman Bettison, Chief Constable of West Yorkshire Police, who did the official opening, said: “By enhancing their security facilities the Trust’s patients, visitors and staff can continue to feel safe and secure when on site and be assured that any incidents are dealt with quickly and appropriately."
