Security fears as ERI casualty left with lone guard

Published on Saturday 11 February 2012 12:38

THE casualty department at the ERI was left with only one security guard on patrol on busy weekend shifts without medical staff being informed, it has emerged.

The private company that runs the hospital has been slammed by both NHS Lothian, for failing to follow procedure, and Unison, which says staff and patients could have been put at risk.

Consort admits that only one security guard was on patrol in the evenings between February 2 and 4, but said it had met all its contractual obligations.

The row blew up shortly after the Evening News revealed that Consort had failed to inform the NHS that smoke alarms at the hospital had been broken for more than a week.

In the evenings, A&E is usually staffed by one security guard in the control room, with at least two on foot patrol.

But after one security guard was unable to come to work because of a family emergency, only one guard was on patrol on the Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings.

Chief operating officer for NHS Lothian Jackie Sansbury said: “We reiterate our disappointment with Consort in failing to properly adhere to our contract with them.

“We are urgently reviewing their processes in regards to why the proper procedures weren’t followed and are in discussions about what sanctions to take following this latest incident.

“Our main priority is the safety of our patients and staff and it is concerning to see any incidents of this nature.”

Grace Forrest, lead Unison steward at the ERI, said Consort had failed to tell union reps about the shortage.

She said: “I think on the Friday and Saturday night I’d be concerned to have only one man on patrol here.

“If a security man phones in sick, we understand that, but just tell us, so we can tell staff that if there was an incident, they should call the police straight away.

“The message we’re trying to get across to [Consort’s parent company] Balfour Beatty is that systems can break down, we accept that, what we don’t accept is that they don’t tell the staff in the areas affected.”

However, Consort regional director Stephen Gordon denied that the company had been in breach of its contract.

“There was proper communication to the contract manager that the security officer was going to be away,” he said.

“Normally there would be three people on and quite often there are more, but of an evening when the hospital is essentially locked down other than A&E, there are usually three people on.

“We have checked on the three nights in question, and as usual there were a number of incidents, and they were all responded to in appropriate timescales and with appropriate responses, so there was no disruption to the service.”

Related Articles

• Cleaner stalked A&E patient by Facebook

  AN INVESTIGATION has been launched at the city’s biggest hospital after a cleaner tracked down a patient on Facebook after accessing her medical records.

  0 Comments

• Fury as ERI firm fails to check whether staff are criminals

  HUNDREDS of staff are feared to have been cleared to work at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary without checks on whether they had a criminal conviction, due to a blunder by a private contractor.

  12 Comments

• ERI fire alarms out of action for eight days

  HEALTH chiefs have heavily criticised the private firm which runs Edinburgh Royal Infirmary after it failed to inform them that smoke alarms at the hospital had been broken for more than a week.

  15 Comments

• My biggest regret.. still far too many road deaths

  AFTER five years as chief constable of Lothian and Borders Police, Paddy Tomkins has just left the force to take up the post of Chief Inspector of Constabulary for Scotland. He spent time reflecting on his years in charge of the Capital's police.

  0 Comments

• Nurses at risk for a year over faulty personal alarm system

  NURSES working in the accident and emergency unit of the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary have been put at risk for more than a year because of a faulty personal alarm system.

  0 Comments

Comments

There are 10 comments to this article

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

10

rabmccall

Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 01:52 PM

Its always been just the Royal for me and lets get back to the days when they had a manned police office like they had at the old royal the polis where on hand to sort the scumbags and wasters who turned up there drunk and abusive

• Report Unsuitable

9

Jools in Edinburgh

Sunday, February 12, 2012 at 02:04 AM

#8 Sorry to be a bit pedantic but you seem to be saying people commonly refer to it by the abbreviation RIE. Just saying this because personally I have never heard anyone utter those letters. But on the main point, that this is it's official name, you are definitely correct.

• Report Unsuitable

8

Proximo

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:27 PM

It's always been the RIE. I lived there for 3 years and worked there for 6 and you're wrong; it was commonly referred to by its correct name actually. I can understand why a few, (and the EN of course) make a mistake and get it wrong, but to then argue about it as if they are actually correct is just plain stupid.

• Report Unsuitable

7

Jools in Edinburgh

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:41 PM

From the NHS website:- Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh 51 Little France Crescent Old Dalkeith Road Edinburgh EH16 4SA

• Report Unsuitable

6

Jools in Edinburgh

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 10:34 PM

Some folks hitting the drink a bit early today?---------AMERICAN BOB, the articel quite clearly states there are normally 3 guards on but in the night in question there was one on the desk and one on patrol....................NOT AVAILABLE, actually your correction is incorrect It is the RIE, commonly referred to as ERI.

• Report Unsuitable

5

Not Available

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 07:39 PM

#3 grumpyscot - It always has been the ERI - Edinburgh Royal Infirmary and not RIE.

• Report Unsuitable

4

Tartancult

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 06:49 PM

So, hospitals now need security guards? (see article elsewhere re Scotalnd being compared to third world countries).

• Report Unsuitable

3

grumpyscot

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 01:38 PM

Once again we see failure of contracts. Time Nicola Sturgeon got off her backside and started some probes into these PFI deals. And by the way, its the RIE not the ERI

• Report Unsuitable

2

americanbob

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 01:29 PM

"Normally there would be three people on..." But one didn't show up and then there was one? Somebody has had a bad time at their maths classes in school! And, incidentally, if their "contractual obligations" normally require three people how does providing one person meet that obligation?

• Report Unsuitable

1

samcoldstream

Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 01:18 PM

The Dutch investment company which funded the PFI contract, recruits and pays for ALL the ancillary staff at the ERI Little France. (Source: NHS Lothian)

• Report Unsuitable

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

Logged in as:

Comment here. Start typing your comment here:

Post comment

Please adhere to our Community guidelines

Your view

Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.