COMMERCIAL SECTOR restricted access and lock down intensive wards to ensure patients remain safe and secure under periods of monitoring. For this, the use of access credentials is critical and provides a regulated system for sensitive staff-controlled areas such as pharmacies, wards and server rooms. By applying role, zone or schedule based access, decision makers can authorise personnel seamlessly, empowering facilities to manage patient care without compromising security in the process.
When it comes to the operation of these systems, training gaps are a concern, however. Over the five years up to February 2025, numbers of NHS doctors rose by 26 %, with nurses also up 25 %, and this influx of new staff requires education towards the usage of access control. Modern systems may incorporate the use of keycards, biometric scanners, mobile credentials and in some cases, voice-activation, with the implementation of AI powered tools and devices set to play a more prevalent role in the future. Each system presents its own benefits and may be better suited to certain projects and areas, but without consultation and proper user education, they can instead become a barrier.
Strategy, scalability, performance
To alleviate these operational threats, early-stage planning is fundamental. Just as end-user education and training should be built into project timelines, it’ s important to consider the growing need for cooperation throughout the entire supply chain of an access control project.
All too often, a lack of evidencebased decision making can hinder the specification of a scheme and its accompanying hardware, whereby choices are made without understanding long-term performance or compliance requirements. Whether approaching a new or retrofit development, ongoing communication allows experts to come together and ensure that product decisions are aligned with the buildings intended use and user base. This collaborative approach becomes even more critical when innovative solutions enter the market and new sector challenges arise.
With this in mind, trusted manufacturers will no longer simply deliver the latest access control products, but will aim to work alongside the architects, specifiers, contractors and facility managers at each stage of the building’ s lifecycle to ensure touchpoints are addressed. This is crucial in modern healthcare environments, where the added layer of complexity requires tailored security measures. One area that is often neglected is scalability, for example. As healthcare facilities manage fluctuating patient numbers and a growing level of patient data, along with new regulations, systems must be adaptable and allow for ongoing improvements and updates to the security infrastructure without the need for a complete overhaul. By adopting a scalable system that combines technology integration with ease of use, decision makers can future proof their building’ s security.
In truth, access control has become more than a means of restricting access. Modern systems are more equipped than ever before to deliver environments that support care, safety and operational excellence. Nonetheless, the complexity of the healthcare industry and its buildings demands more than product innovation- it requires an industry wide commitment to collaboration, from project conception to product installation and beyond.
About Consort Architectural Hardware
For over 30 years, Consort has continued to deliver in its mission to provide highly engineered, quality ironmongery that adheres to the most stringent of industry certifications and standards. As an international, familyowned business, Consort is proud to operate as a single source solution, delivering the best in hardware to markets in the UK, US, Middle East, Asia and South Africa.
www. consort-hw. com
Sources: https:// www. england. nhs. uk / statistics / statistical-work-areas / patient-safety-data / 2024-25 / q4-revised /
DECEMBER 2025
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