NHS Protect is concerned that some trusts are leaving themselves open to regulator intervention and/or civil/criminal claims if an untoward incident occurs which impacts the health and safety of a member of staff.
Richard Hampton, head of local support & development services
at NHS Protect has written to all local security management specialists and security management directors in each trust to remind them about the implications.
Serious issues identified by NHS Protect and associated with this course of action are outlined in his letter.
NHS Protect has discussed this issue with the NHS Staff Councils ‘Partnership for Occupational Safety and Health in Healthcare’. The partnership (POSHH) includes representation from many areas of the NHS including NHS Employers, UNISON, UNITE, NHS Protect, Royal College of Nursing and others. It also includes among its membership the Health and Safety Executive and the Care Quality Commission.
A statement from POSHH
“The NHS Staff Council’s Partnership for Occupational Safety and Health in Healthcare (POSHH) reminds healthcare employers of the importance of carrying out robust risk assessments to identify the hazards of lone working and put in place measures to manage the risks in lone worker situations. POSHH has developed good practice guidance on managing the risks to lone workers which can be found."
"NHS Protect is actively monitoring this situation and will, where necessary, make approaches to trusts that are identified as failing to actively implement robust solutions with regard to lone working NHS staff identified as needing protection through effective risk assessment."
"Under the current agreements and Concordat between NHS Protect and the other healthcare regulators, any information relating to unsatisfactory provision, will be shared."
