Visitors to Colchester General Hospital and Essex County Hospital are being invited to take part in an NHS Security Awareness Month initiative.

Displays will be held at both hospitals during November and visitors as well as staff will have a chance to talk with Peter Symkiss, Security Advisor at Colchester Hospital University NHS Foundation Trust.

Mr Symkiss, a former police officer, said November would be the third NHS Security Awareness Month led by the NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service.

"Our focus at Colchester Hospital Trust will be on improving safety and security, which is the message I will be trying to get across to staff and visitors throughout November," he said.

"Unfortunately, we do experience both physical and verbal assaults on staff, and personal possessions are sometimes stolen by opportunist thieves.

"However, it's important to keep these issues in context because these types of incidents are very low-level when you consider the total number of patients we see - for example, almost 70,000 last year in A&E alone - although our view is that one incident is one too many.

"Patients can add to the security of the Trust by following our advice about not bringing valuable items into our hospitals and only a limited amount of cash."

Mr Symkiss said he would also take the opportunity to remind the public that the Trust would do everything in its power to secure the prosecution and conviction of anyone who maliciously assaulted a member of staff.

He will be available on the following dates:

Thursday 6 November, 12noon - 2pm
Outside Senses restaurant, Colchester General Hospital

Tuesday 11 November, 10am - 12noon
Reception, Gainsborough Wing, Colchester General Hospital

Wednesday 19 November, 1pm - 3pm
Main Entrance, Colchester General Hospital

Thursday 27 November, 12noon - 2pm
Castle Restaurant, Essex County Hospital

There were 73 physical assaults against Trust staff in 2007/08. While the Trust takes all assaults seriously, only four warranted prosecution and each resulted in a criminal conviction.

The 69 remaining physical assaults were not deemed serious enough for any further action by the Trust as they were caused by patients who were not aware of what they were doing, eg because of dementia.

Uniformed security staff work at the Trust on a 24/7 basis and Mr Symkiss does a presentation on security as part of the induction programme for all new staff and runs regular conflict resolution training for front line staff.

Trust employees are told not to accept abusive behaviour but to officially report all incidents.

Colchester General Hospital