Idis Video Boosts Safeguarding for Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

The latest HD video technology from Idis has been chosen by Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust for a comprehensive upgrade across their facilities in Hampshire.

What is the Objective?
In one of the largest projects of its kind, the new system will improve safeguarding at a number of sites for patients requiring specialised mental health care in a secure setting. Idis’s Korean technology is fully network-tested and approved, which means it is secure enough to be linked to the wider NHS network, at any point in the future, giving further options for centralised monitoring and control.

Requirements
Because of the sensitive nature of the care being provided, the vulnerability of patients and the risks to staff, it was essential that the video solution was not only network-secure but could be relied on to capture scenes in close detail in all lighting conditions. Southern Health wanted a fully managed system, linking all their sites onto their local LAN without the risk of system hacking, which is a key NHS consideration in selecting any IP CCTV solution.

The Idis equipment was identified as the best for the project following a full proof-of-concept comparison, with equipment set up on site to demonstrate both picture quality and ease of use. It replaces a previously installed IP video system, comprising a mix of equipment from different manufacturers, and in comparison, it offers the benefits of lower cost of ownership due to ease of use, simple installation and maintenance combined with the industry-leading warranty.

Installation Process
The first phase of the upgrade has just been completed by leading fire and security integrator ISD Tech, with an installation at Ravenswood House, Fareham. This phase comprises almost one hundred 12MP vandal-resistant IR Fisheye cameras as well as full HD IR domes, DirectIP H.265 4K recorders, PoE switches and full-HD monitors.

The older system at Ravenswood House had been proving to be difficult to use. Recordings could not be easily archived, and image quality was inconsistent, explains Tracey Edwards, Security Manager of Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

“We had identified gaps in coverage and our efforts to provide a safe environment were being hampered by footage that was often unclear,” Tracey Edwards says. “The old system was proving too complex to use and it was taking too long for operators to identify and retrieve recordings.”

This was a major issue because staff at the site are caring for vulnerable people and, if an incident occurs, it’s vital that they can quickly access recordings that show exactly what happened. Delays in investigations can result in interrupted care delivery and costly disruption, so need to be minimised as much as possible.

The advantage of the Idis 12MP fisheye cameras is that they allow all events to be captured automatically without the need for operators to focus in on an incident. Recordings from the new cameras always provide a complete 360 view of any given area without any blind spots. Just as importantly, the system is easy to use, and the footage can be accessed quickly. The fisheye units offer a choice of 6 de-warping view modes and ensure night-time IR viewing at up to 15 metres.

Challenges
The new system has also overcome a particular loophole at Ravenswood House: in some areas motion-sensor activated lighting was not sensitive to very slow movement, meaning the previous system could not capture images because it had no IR capability. This increased the vulnerability of both patients and staff.

Overcoming this, the built-in IR capability in the Idis fisheyes enables the capture of crisp, clear images even in darkness.  Crucially, the new solution also features Idis’s Smart Failover technology which protects against loss of footage due to a wide range of potential fault conditions, including network instability, network failure, storage failure, recorder hardware failure and power supply failure.

Idis and ISD Tech worked particularly closely to ensure the phase one installation went smoothly, says Nicky Stokes, ISD Tech’s Managing Director.  “Our engineers had to be very sensitive and careful working on this project because of the nature of the site and the needs of the patients. Everything went smoothly – Idis equipment really is ‘plug and play’, which makes our job much faster, and we appreciate the high-level support that Idis always gives.”

With phase one completed, full roll-out of the Idis technology through Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust sites will continue through 2019.

“We are delighted that Idis technology has been chosen for this important NHS project,” says Jamie Barnfield, Sales Director, Idis Europe.  “We know that our technology will provide outstanding service for years to come. Not only is it backed by our Idis Ultimate seven-year warranty, our commitment to leading the way in new product development means that it will be forward-flexible and meet all the customer’s future needs.”