Lone Worker Protection Project

Tender description

The NHS Security Management Service (NHS SMS) is a part of the Counter Fraud & Security Management Service (CFSMS) which is a division of the NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA). The NHS SMS has responsibility for all policy and operational matters relating to the prevention, detection and investigation of fraud and corruption and the management of security in the NHS. The aim of the NHS SMS is a simple one, to protect the NHS so that it can better protect the public’s health. In September 2007 the Secretary of State announced that money will be made available to NHS Trusts and other health service bodies across England to help make the NHS a safer and more secure place to work and in particular to tackle violence and abuse against NHS staff. The announcement committed funds to provide safety alarm devices for lone workers, a particularly vulnerable group within the NHS. The purpose of this tender is to identify and award a single sourced framework agreement for a lone worker protection solution providing lone workers with an alarm which they can activate discreetly when faced with a potentially violent or intimidating situation. The solution should provide a telecommunications link to an Alarm Receiving Centre to allow a trained person to listen to any incident, record events and summon immediate assistance for the lone worker where appropriate. Recorded information should be capable of being used to provide evidence for prosecutions against those who verbally or physically abuse lone workers. It is envisaged that the preferred solution will allow use of different hardware devices according to the varying needs of the different categories of lone worker and tracking options.