Securing Tooting National Blood Centre Against Unauthorised Access

Challenge

The Tooting Blood Centre is based in South West London and is part of the NHS Blood and Transplant service, which collects and provides blood supplies for hospitals in England and North Wales.

With 8,000 units of blood being required every day to meet hospital demand, the Tooting Blood Centre - one of 24 official apheresis centres across the UK - has a significant role to play in providing an efficient and comfortable experience for donors visiting the Tooting site.

Of equal importance is the need to ensure the Blood Centre represents a secure location, providing safe parking for staff whilst also minimising the risk of unwanted visitors gaining access to the main building.

When the Estate and Facilities Manager at the Tooting Centre first spoke to Jacksons Fencing, it was explained that the existing perimeter security arrangements were dated, offering limited protection to both staff and visitors attending the SW17 centre.

The primary aim was to create a Blood Centre destination, which ensured tighter access control, allowing only those with prior consent to gain admission to the premises. In addition to the security priorities, other key factors influencing the final recommendations from Jacksons were the need to create an aesthetically pleasing as well as financially acceptable solution.

The fundamental flaw with the current security architecture lay in the fact that unauthorised or unwanted visitors could easily gain admission to the main building via a number of entry routes. The main priority was therefore to contain access to the building from all angles.