SCORES of intruders have been discovered lurking in NHS restricted areas and even posing as employees — an investigation has discovered.
Figures obtained by The Scottish Solar present 122 safety breaches came about at well being boards over a five-year interval.
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Along with the intense breaches there have been 5 individuals collared for falsely posing as NHS employees in accordance with stats.
However the true quantity might be even increased after it emerged some authorities – together with NHS Larger Glasgow and Clyde – don’t hold observe of the information regardless of earlier breaches.
The very best quantity got here inside NHS Lanarkshire, which had 27 ‘unauthorised entry’ incidents involving individuals in restricted zones – and one case of an individual impersonating employees – between January 2019 and December final 12 months.
Union bosses say any breaches are “probably very critical”, including well being boards must spend money on safety to ensure sufferers and employees are protected.
In January we advised how 28-year-old Lee Woods pled responsible at Glasgow Sheriff Court docket to posing as a nurse at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth College Hospital.
Woods, who wore NHS clothes and a pretend ID badge, was discovered having accessed a youngsters’s ward between March and July 2023.
Nonetheless, NHS Larger Glasgow doesn’t file figures.
Scottish Conservative shadow well being secretary Sandesh Gulhane MSP mentioned his case – and the figures obtained in our Freedom of Info (FOI) request – present hospital measures must be reviewed.
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He mentioned: “It’s surprising and appalling that somebody was capable of overtly impersonate a nurse at Glasgow’s flagship hospital.
“Regardless of his responsible plea, questions stay unanswered as to how he was capable of get away with this, and probably endanger sufferers.
“Whereas hospital safety measures have to be reviewed, the truth is that our frontline NHS employees are underneath insupportable stress as a result of SNP’s abject failure to help frontline companies.
“They need to now step up and supply them with the assets they should shield sufferers’ security from being compromised in future.”
Elsewhere, the FOI revealed employees at NHS Forth Valley reported 22 separate incidents of intruders in restricted areas.
They included home assistant discovered an individual mendacity on the storeroom flooring at Stirling Well being and Care Village in December 2019.
There was additionally a report of two individuals coming into a employees workplace at Forth Valley Royal Hospital in Larbert, Falkirk in August final 12 months.
NHS Borders recorded 10 incidents of individuals coming into unauthorised areas, and three circumstances of people posing as employees members.
Ayrshire and Arran well being board logged 13 circumstances of individuals coming into unauthorised areas and caught one particular person impersonating a employee.
KNOCK-OFF NHS GEAR
FAKE NHS Scotland clothes is being offered on-line — posing a menace to hospital safety.
Fleeces, polo shirts and jackets with the well being service emblem are amongst clothes touted on web sites, together with market large Etsy.
NHS branded lanyards, beanie hats and ID card holders are additionally on supply.
There are considerations the phoney gear might make it simpler for individuals to impersonate well being staff.
A fearful supply mentioned: “It’s low-cost and could be useful for real NHS staff to search out inexpensive clothes, however it may be bought by anybody, and sufferers and employees are being put in danger.”
We advised how Lee Woods, 28, was caught posing as a cost nurse at Queen Elizabeth College Hospital in Glasgow final 12 months in pretend NHS clothes with an ID badge as he entered youngsters’s and resuscitation areas.
On Etsy, sellers are touting £25 softshell jackets embroidered with the NHS emblem in varied sizes and hues, together with bottle inexperienced which is related to the ambulance service.
There are polo shirts for £12, fleeces at £20, beanie hats costing round £9 and NHS lanyards with ID card holders for lower than £4.
Sweatshirts, hoodies, rain jackets, T-shirts and gilets are additionally on the market and will be personalised with hospital, division and employees names.
Scottish Tory well being spokesman Sandesh Gulhane mentioned: “It’s incumbent on hospitals to make sure ID badges are offered to all NHS employees and that strong safety measures are in place to problem those that attempt to evade guidelines.”
NHS Fife recorded 13 incidents of unauthorised entry to restricted areas.
In November, a girl pretending to be a nurse helped employees with a affected person at St Andrews Neighborhood Hospital.
She additionally made off with private info from 14 sufferers.
Cops have been unable to establish the imposter or retrieve the delicate paperwork as a employee had unintentionally switched off the CCTV.
However NHS Fife figures don’t file individuals impersonating employees members.
NHS Grampian confirmed 11 individuals have been present in restricted areas.
The healthboard mentioned there have been fewer than 5 incidents in 2019, 2020 and 2023 and didn’t present full figures.
Elsewhere, NHS Tayside logged 29 circumstances of trespassing, together with in an oral surgical procedure and a ward at Perth Royal Infirmary.
NHS Dumfries and Galloway, Western Isles, Highland, Lothian, Orkney, and Shetland had recorded no such incidents.
In the meantime, NHS Larger Glasgow and Clyde, Scotland’s largest well being board, mentioned its employees don’t routinely hold observe of such info.
Matt Mclaughlin, Unison Scotland head of well being, mentioned: “Breaches of NHS safety are probably very critical and the security of sufferers and employees have to be paramount. Households must know that their family members are protected.
“However let’s be trustworthy, there have lengthy been considerations about felony behaviours in and round QEUH.
“NHS boards like Glasgow should be taught from these incidents and they should spend money on safety and make sure that there are ample employees in all areas of the hospital to ensure sufferers and different employees are protected.
“Our hard-working NHS employees additionally want the help of the general public with these points. Don’t take offence if you’re challenged by a member of NHS employees to elucidate who you might be. Employees are solely making an attempt to guard everybody who’s getting therapy, visiting or working in our hospitals.”
MaryAnne Kane, basic supervisor of NHS Lanarkshire’s property and help companies division, mentioned: “We deal with the security and safety of our sufferers, employees and guests with the best precedence and, as a consequence, request that colleagues log any occasions involving unauthorised entry to our websites on our incident reporting system.
“It needs to be famous that a big proportion of those incidents contain sufferers or guests mistakenly coming into areas. After every occasion the overall safety preparations within the space are reviewed as a part of an investigation. If needed, the police could also be contacted to report an incident.”
A Scottish Authorities spokesperson mentioned: “It’s the duty of all Well being Boards to make sure applicable safety measures and protocols are in place with a purpose to shield employees, sufferers, and NHS services. This steering contains safety administration and safety requirements.”
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