The ACT equipment is controlling access to over 200 doors including mission-critical areas such as operating theatres, casualty, pharmacy, admissions and high-dependency units
ACTWinPro software, ACTpro 1040 readers, and ACTpro 4000 two-door controllers help secure the hospital

CBES has secured the Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent using proximity readers, door controllers and management software from Access Control Technology (ACT) as part of an IP-addressable system.

Built by Laing O’Rourke at a cost of £225m and opened in 2011, the hospital provides both complex and routine surgical and medical services. It has a trauma centre, accident & emergency department, orthopaedic centre and women & children’s centre.

The ACT equipment is controlling access to over 200 doors including mission-critical areas such as operating theatres, casualty, pharmacy, admissions and high-dependency units. Access control and CCTV have been interfaced with the hospital’s baby tagging system in order to provide even greater levels of security on maternity wings where over 100 babies are born weekly.

Tunbridge Wells Hospital is using ACTpro 1040 multi-format proximity readers which are supporting MIFARE cards. CBES opted for cards in which identity details are embedded behind a sector, an extra level of precaution which reduces the risk of card cloning. As well as cards, the readers also support fobs. They generate Clock & Data or Wiegand output and feature tri-colour LED indication as well as a bleep tone for audible indications.

As with any hospital, the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust required equipment that would balance ease of access in emergency situations with appropriate controls in clinical areas.

ACT’s access control management software is giving the hospital a system with a hierarchy of access rights for staff members according to job profile. The database allows distinctions to be made between clinical and non-clinical staff, the areas of practice for surgical and nursing personnel as well as basic criteria such as gender and likely shift patterns.

"Tunbridge Wells Hospital is
using
ACTpro 1040 multi-format
proximity
readers which are
supporting MIFARE
cards"

The readers at Tunbridge Wells are being used with ACTpro 4000 two-door controllers which are designed for high-traffic volumes in environments such as a hospital where changes to the cardholder database are a regular occurrence. Networkable up to 4,000 doors, the ACTpro 4000 can manage up to 60,000 users. These controllers excel in data reading and encoding which allow ACTWinPro to function alongside an institution’s core personnel/enrolment system.

CBES have commissioned a fully integrated electronic security solution at the hospital using Pelco CCTV cameras and Galaxy intruder alarms from Honeywell. ACT access control equipment integrates with all major brands of intruder alarm.

The Tunbridge Wells Hospital is seen as an example of best practice in the design of patient-safe facilities and has attracted international interest. It is the first National Health Service hospital in England to provide single en-suite in-patient rooms which currently number 436. The A & E department at Tunbridge Wells Hospital treats 65,000 patients on average every year.

CBES is a diverse construction, security, mechanical & electrical and risk management company. The security systems division uses disciplines such as access control, CCTV, perimeter protection, intruder detection and security tagging. As well as healthcare, the division is active in retail, education and the automotive industry. CBES has won many RoSPA awards, is SSAIB-certificated and holds relevant BSI/ISO certification in all its operational areas.

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