Hospital Security System Prevents Infant Abductions
After a series of alarming baby abductions, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital decided it needed a reliable and flexible building control system. The resulting Baby Security System is now installed in five National Health Services hospitals in the U.K. and provides the highest level of maternity ward security.
Participants
- End user: The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals, delivered more than 5,100 babies in 2006
- Integrator: Mediplan, engineered solutions to meet patient-care requirements
Challenge
- Prevent infant abductions while allowing authorized personnel to transfer babies between wards without triggering alarms
- Install a proven, reliable, flexible building control system for maternity-ward security
Solution
- Wireless tags, and Echelon LonWorks®-based ICs in readers and controllers
Benefits
- Prevents baby abductions while letting authorized personnel transfer babies between wards
- Midwives, nurses, mothers, and infants can be quickly located in real time
- Open LonWorks technology can easily expand to track hospital assets
- Distributed intelligence allows the system to run, even if the PC server is shut off