Bid to step up hospitals security

Security is to be stepped up at Shropshire’s two main hospitals because of vandalism and theft.

A private security firm has been providing one officer on each site between 8pm and 7am as a short-term measure.

But a report to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust board says there are almost as many security incidents during the day - when there is no cover - as there are at night.

Between last April and the beginning of this month there were 136 daytime and 142 night time incidents recorded across both hospital sites.

Now plans have been put forward to award a new contract to another security firm which will provide 24-hour cover, seven days a week. The cost will rise from about £125,000 this year to an average of £153,000 per annum.

But the report says: “It should be borne in mind that this contract doubles the number of hours of security cover provided and therefore provides much better value for money and addresses many concerns raised by staff in the NHS Staff Survey and during recent discussions in relation to staff car parking charges.

“Given the level of reported incidents of violence and aggression, the need for 24-hour provision of security guarding arrangements is explicit.”