The move has extended the life of the hospital’s existing analogue CCTV cameras, while expanding video surveillance coverage with new IP network cameras.
The hospital commissioned the update after 77 thefts were reported on its grounds last year.
A spokesman for Wavestore said: “It is sadly a familiar story throughout the NHS. Nurses, doctors and administrators being verbally or physically attacked by the very same people they are seeking to help.
“More often than not it is as a result of alcohol abuse but whatever the reason West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust is determined to fully exercise a zero tolerance policy to any criminal activity including theft and malicious damage to property and equipment.
“The existing analogue cameras were not sufficient to cover all areas of the hospital buildings and grounds, with 77 thefts reported at a variety of locations throughout the hospital last year, including the A&E department, wards and car park, the CCTV system clearly needed to be expanded to deter and detect this criminal activity, as well as create a safe working environment for staff.”
Set in a 19-hectare parkland site on the edge of Bury St Edmunds, the West Suffolk Hospital NHS Trust, which has approximately 480 beds, serves an area with a population of around 275,000.
As part of the upgrade, the storage capacity within the existing Rock digital video recorders was increased, as well as the IP video licenses for each of the three machines so that they could accommodate the 27 additional network attached cameras.
Jim Pretty, local security management specialist for the Hospital Trust, said: “The existing CCTV system had done a really great job over a number of years but was no longer sufficient for our needs. In order to fully implement our zero tolerance policy in respect of abuse of our staff it is important that we capture high quality video of any incidents to pass on to the police as evidence.
“We were happy to accept Puls Global’s advice to add IP network cameras and upgrade the existing Rock recorders as we had always been impressed with their very fast search and evidence back-up functions.”
